The Magnificent Octopus
by LouBlue
Summary: Pepperony/Avengers. Sequel to 'Precious'. The newly formed Avengers are still trying to find their way as a team. Love is in the air for some of the members, with some surprising outcomes. But nothing is more surprising then the new menace the Avengers will soon be facing as they fight to save not only the Avengers, but the world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N****: **Yes, finally I've gotten to do the sequel to 'Precious', guys... well, the first chapter anyway. :D

I've been on holidays and haven't had a chance to write (yes, odd, I know) and now I've picked up a rotten head cold so I'm not feeling overly magnificent at the moment. So, my point is I'm hoping to update as fast as I usually do, but please forgive me if I can't because of the virus I've picked up, okay? :D

Now, if you're reading this without having read 'Precious', I seriously suggest you check it out. It's not vital, but it will fill in a few blanks and make more sense of this story.

So, 'The Magnificent Octopus' is a story which is just going to have more, from what I've worked out in my head. More Pepperony, more Avengers, more action, more romance and hopefully, more comedy. And of course, for those of you who have read 'Satis' as well, more cliffhangers. :0

I've introduced most of the characters and how I see their relationships in 'Precious', and now we're going to build on that and ramp up everything... at least, that's the plan.

Okay, enough from me for now. A big thank you to everyone who's been so supportive of my other stories and I hope this one won't disappoint...

Enjoy.

**The Magnificent Octopus**

"As for courage and will - we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry through trials which may lie ahead."

_Ovid_

_(Ancient Roman classical Poet) _

**Chapter One**

"Thor, where are you? Talk to me, buddy." Tony engaged his suit's thrusters to keep him one step ahead of the laser blasts being levelled at him.

Thor's resonating voice came back in Tony's earpiece. "I am here, Tony Stark."

Tony looked above him to see the blonde-haired demigod making a beeline for him from behind a line of buildings. Looking down, Tony could see the carnage the army of crazy machines which were designed to look not unlike giant, mechanical praying mantises. The twenty foot tall creature's eyes glowed red as a rays shot out of their bulging eyes and seared through metal and flesh alike. The beams also caused fires when it touched anything combustible. The scorching rays weren't the only thing to be contended with either. The front two legs were deadly pinchers which could pick up things like cars and cut them in two. They punched through brick walls and could demolish concrete with their vice like grip and powerful sweeps.

The fierce creatures were creating carnage on the helpless surrounding cityscape of New York. People were running all over the place in fear of their lives as parts of buildings rained down on them along with the laser fire. Tony pointed to a group of the death machines heading towards a nearby hospital. "It's Hammer Time, big guy, go do your thing," Tony called out to the other man. "Take down as many as you can, I'm going to find out who is controlling them."

Thor nodded at him, twirling his hammer and immediately bearing down on the thirty or so mantis machines which were closing in on the unprotected hospital. With one mighty blow of his hammer, Thor immediately dispatched the first machine he came to, shattering its body into a million pieces. The legs staggered on, no longer knowing what to do and eventually crumbled in a heap. Tony watched as Thor moved on to the machine and the next, destroying each one in turn. The trouble was, as many as they smashed; another ten seemed to pop up in their place. The city was teeming with the destructive devices. "Jarvis," Tony snapped, "have you locked in on the signal controlling these things yet?"

"No, sir," came the apologetic AI's response, "something is preventing the signal from being isolated. I can only narrow it down to a four block radius."

"Throw up it up on the map," said Tony and immediately a schematic of the streets in question were in front of him. Immediately he recognised Central Park as being in the middle of them all.

"Stark, you need to see this." Hawkeye's voice was in Tony's ear.

"I'm on my way," said Tony, immediately jetting off in the direction of where he'd last seen the eagle-eyed archer. He swooped in amongst the oncoming swarm of machines, shooting out their legs with his repulsors and chest unibeam as he went by and taking out their lasers. Tony passed by the Hulk who was grabbing the machines and tearing their legs off to then beat them into a pulp with. The green giant seemed to be having a wonderful time. Tony couldn't help but smile as he dodged a stray mechanical leg which the Hulk had flung up in the air, opting to smash the incapacitated mantis with a nearby car now. "What the guy lacked in finesse, he certainly made up for in enthusiasm," thought Tony.

Tony continued to duck and weave his way to where he knew Hawkeye had stationed himself. Whilst the mantises were powerful, they couldn't match Iron Man's manoeuvrability. He landed on the roof of the high rise Hawkeye had set himself up as a good vantage point to rain down his deadly arrows on the foes.

Hawkeye gave him a grim look and pointed to the street below on the other side of the building. "I think we've got a problem."

Tony peered over the edge of the building and saw several destroyed insect-like machines below. He looked closer, making his suit zoom in. "What is that?" Tony asked uncertainly.

The twisted and blackened metal which had been destroyed by Hawkeye's explosive arrows were moving. All the broken pieces of the machine seemed to be seeking each other out to put itself back together. Tony looked on in amazement as the metal reformed into the original machine in less than a minute. "Okay, that's just way cool," he said, unable to help but admire the genius of a machine made up of metal with an actual memory to be able to reconstruct itself.

"I was thinking more that it kind of sucked," said Hawkeye grimly. "How are we going to kill these things if they keep putting their pieces back together again?"

"I guess we know why there seems to be so many of them," said Tony, his mind racing as he tried to wrap his head around this piece of fascinating and lethal technology.

Hawkeye strung an arrow and took deadly aim at the newly reformed metallic beast and once again blew it to pieces. The pieces of metal were still smoking even as they moved to reform once again.

Hawkeye looked at Tony. "You're the genius, what do we do now?" he said flatly.

"I'm thinking," said Tony distractedly. Simply destroying them was not going to be an option, clearly. Tony's brain was racing. "We need to find who is controlling them and shut them down that way. I've got a bead on where the signal is coming from but I need some time to narrow it down."

Steve's voice came in his ear. "Then take it, we've got this." Steve sounded as though he was running and there was the noise of metal being ripped apart in the background.

"I'll help you look," came Black Widow's voice in his ear. "What are the co-ordinates of your search area?"

"It's Central Park," Tony told her.

Black Widow sounded like she was already running. "That's down the street, I'm on my way. Central Park is big, what am I looking for exactly?" she quizzed him.

"Something that could amplify a radio signal out to the machines," said Tony, taking to the skies to head to the same location. "It's going to be big, hard to miss, like a giant circle and it's probably going to be glowing."

"If it's that obvious then why didn't someone notice it going in?" asked Natasha.

"I guess we'll know that when we find it," said Tony pragmatically but Natasha was right, Central Park was a big place and they were quickly running out of time. He sped up, intent on getting to the famous park to start looking. Tony jetted over the top of Steve just in time to see him drawing away two mantis machines away from a busload of terrified tourists. "Need a hand, Cap?" asked Tony as he watched them corner the other man against a wall and close in on him.

Steve was intently watching the approaching menaces from behind his shield. "Do I look like I need help?" he asked calmly, not flinching in the least.

Tony was hovering above the trio. "Frankly, yes." He lifted his hand and directed a blast of his repulsors at the closest beast just as it lunged for Steve. Unfortunately as the creature had moved at the wrong time, the repulsor ray glanced off the machines tough metal casing and ricocheted into the wall above Steve.

Captain America was forced to leap out of the way of the explosion of bricks raining down on him from above or be crushed by them. Steve looked up at Tony with an annoyed expression. "Is this you helping, Stark?"

"Okay," said Tony apologetically, "that was my bad, the thing moved."

"They do that," Steve ground out as he dodged a powerful blow from one of the giant front pinchers, "what with those six legs and all."

Tony lifted his hand. "I've got it this time."

"Just go and look for the controlling device," said Steve curtly. "Your kind of back up is going to get me killed."

"Rude," Tony sniffed, "I was only trying to help."

Steve was dodging between the two mantises who were still trying to get him. "I told you, Stark, I don't need any help." He ran towards another wall, the two creatures hot on his heels and Tony watched as Steve then proceeded to run up the wall and then flip over backwards up in the air so he came down on the back of one of the unsuspecting mechanical praying mantises. Steve brought down his shield on the machine's neck, the vibrantium of the shield slicing through the metal like butter. The head of the hapless creature fell off and it started to stagger around, with Steve still on his back and preparing to leap onto the next machine to treat it to the same fate.

Tony made in impressed face but would never tell the other man that.

Black Widow's urgent voice came in his ear. "Stark, where are you?"

"I was supervising Grandpa," said Tony. "In case he broke a hip or something. You can't be too careful with these senior citizens."

Tony was suddenly forced to dodge Captain America's shield as it whizzed past his face enroute back to its owner and managing to take out the other mantis as it did.

"Sorry," said Steve sweetly to Tony, "I guess all that hot air you're always blowing blew my shield off course, Stark."

Hawkeye's chastising voice was in both of their ears now. "I've got an idea guys, how about we save the pissing contest until we're not trying to save a city?" he snapped in annoyance. "I'm running out of arrows and patience here."

Tony shot up in the air and left Steve to fend off more of the advancing machines and marshalled up some help for Clint. "Hulk, head north and meet up with Hawkeye," Tony instructed him. Directing the Hulk in a battle was still somewhat of a pipe dream but Tony was determined to keep working towards that goal. Bruce Banner's aggressive alter ego was just too big of a resource not to at least try and train into some kind of ability to work as part of a team. Of course, the big guy didn't have the best example in the newly formed Avengers just yet, but to Tony, that was another work in progress.

"Hulk smash!" bellowed the beast in response.

Tony flinched, his ears hurting at how loud that was. "Yes, Hulk smash, just do it further down the street, go left."

"Talky man in Hulk's head!" yelled the Hulk in distress.

"No, it's your comms, remember, Hulk?" Tony urged him as he tore along the tops of the buildings still heading for the park. "It's fine, you just have to go left and help Hawkeye."

"You're wasting your time," Steve informed him. "You can't train the Hulk."

"Oh, sorry Captain Quitsalot, guess I'm just not someone who gives up easily," Tony threw back at him. He grimaced as he looked back to see the Hulk batting at his head with a gigantic green hand.

"You know," Hawkeye joined in, "I'm not really sure I want that kind of help. I like being able to chew solid food."

"Too late," said Tony happily as he noticed the Hulk was actually running in Hawkeye's direction. "You're about to get big, green male in your in tray. I suggest bracing yourself."

"If Hulk's running in Clint's direction it's not because you told him to," said Steve in annoyance. "It's a fluke."

Tony knew Steve was right but wouldn't admit it. "I call it good training and perseverance."

"So, was it your good training or perseverance which taught him that?" asked Hawkeye mockingly.

Tony glanced behind him to see the Hulk punching at the figures on the jumbo screen on Time Square, possibly thinking they were where the voices were coming from.

"Ah, crap," said Tony in frustration.

"Go, Tony Stark," said Thor, joining in on the fun, "I shall carrel the beast to help the archer."

"Again," said Hawkeye, "not that into being backed up by a big, green, indiscriminately smashy thing."

Hawkeye's concerns were ignored though as Thor drew the Hulk away from his dismantling of the famous big screen and they both headed towards Hawkeye's location.

Tony was over Central Park now. "Jarvis, scan the area."

"I'm sorry, sir," Jarvis apologised, "but something is still blocking my scanners."

Tony's lips thinned. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way then." He zoomed along the top of the many trees in the park, intently looking for the radio signaller which was controlling the destructive praying mantises.

Natasha's no nonsense voice was in his ear again. "Stark, I've found something. I'm by the rides."

It was irrational of Tony he knew, but it annoyed him that the flame-haired spy had possibly found the device before he had. Tony quickly made his way over to where a small collection of rides had been set up in the middle of the park for some family fun. It consisted of a little train on tracks which made a circle around the other rides, a miniature Ferris wheel and a few other small rides all light up with colourful lights to attract the children. It was the Carousel which Natasha was standing beside and Tony immediately alighted down in front of her.

Somehow Natasha managed to keep a neutral expression on her face whilst still conveying disapproval. "While you men were being idiots, I found this." She nodded at the Carousel.

Tony held up an armour-clad finger. "Ah, ah, that's _super_ idiots when we've got the costumes on, if you please, Romanoff." He looked at where she was indicating. "And we don't have time for a ride, we've got grown up people's business right now. Maybe you can lie and manipulate someone into taking you for a spin later." Tony still wasn't really over the circumstances of their introduction. It still annoyed him that someone had been able to hoodwink him so thoroughly.

Natasha's expression didn't change. She just flipped a nearby switch. The lights of the Carousel immediately went off, except for the base, which continued to glow bright blue. Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Big, round, and glowing," she noted, "is that close enough?"

"Jarvis," said Tony quickly, his attention immediately taken by this revelation, "scan the Carousel."

"Very good, sir."

In front of Tony's eyes a myriad of schematics flashed up the Carousel and more importantly, what lay in the base of the ride.

"Can you just blast it?" Natasha asked him.

Tony grimaced, even though she couldn't see it behind the Iron Man mask. "No, it's rigged with explosives." His jaw hardened as Jarvis' scan provided the last piece of pertinent information. "Nuclear explosives."

"Are you saying someone planted an A-bomb in a children's ride?" asked Steve in horror, still fighting the machines on the other side of town.

"Yes," said Tony grimly.

"This bomb device," asked Thor, "it is deadly?"

"Very, it's big enough to take out all of New York in the initial blast and that's before we even talk about fallout," Tony informed him.

Thor had another question. "Can you use your electrickery to destroy this abomination, Tony Stark?"

"I can dismantle the bomb," said Tony confidently. He hesitated. "But-"

"But you can't get to it without setting it off," Natasha finished off for him. She was looking at the same thing Tony was. The bomb was actually underneath the Carousel and both Natasha and Tony were looking at the motion sensors dotted around the base of the ride. If Tony in his Iron Man suit attempted to get under the Carousel he'd rock the base, which would set off the sensors and there was no way that wasn't linked to the bombs. Natasha fixed Tony with an unflinching look. "I have to go in."

**A/N****:** I did mention more cliffhangers, right? ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N****: **Okay, next chapter time.

It's actually quite a job to write for seven characters all doing things simultaneously, so hopefully this next action chapter will make sense to you all. My cold is still raging, but I'm trying to ignore it and see how that pans out. LOL

It was lovely to see so many familiar names checking out this fic and just as lovely to see a few new ones. I'm thrilled to have you all along for the ride. I'm keen to get into some real dialog writing, so I can't wait for that. I'm also keen to start penning a couple of little love stories within this fic, anyone want to guess where I might be aiming cupid's bow? ;)

But before we get to the lovin', we have to survive the fightin'... so let's see how our team is doing, eh?

**Chapter Two**

"I have to go in." Natasha's words hung between them.

Tony instantly hated the idea. "And you know how to dismantle nuclear explosive devices, do you?" he asked sharply. "Do they teach that in between how to dress provocatively and where to hide the daggers you're about to put in someone's back."

"I have basic bomb disposal skills," said Natasha calmly, not rising to Tony's bait. "You can talk me through it."

"No."

Natasha arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Worried about me, Stark?"

"I'm worried you're going to get us all killed and give the East Coast its first taste of a nuclear winter," Tony said in annoyance. "I should disarm the bomb."

"You're too big in the Iron Man suit to get under the Carousel and not set off the motion sensors and you don't have the equipment to remove the suit," she said simply. "It's pointless to waste any more time on an option which cannot happen."

She was right, which annoyed Tony even more.

"Stark, let Romanoff go in." Nick Fury's curt command was barked in Tony's ear.

Tony looked up to see the giant SHIELD base hovering above their heads. "This is a bad idea," Tony replied in frustration.

"It's the only option we've got," replied Fury evenly. "Romanoff is going in. She's my best agent."

"We want the bomb disarmed, not seduced," said Tony darkly.

"Are you going to help or are you going to whine?" asked Natasha coolly. She was already kneeling beside the base of the Carousel. There was just enough room between the base and the ground for a flexible, smaller adult to manage to crawl under the base without disturbing it. She looked up at Tony expectantly. "Well?"

"What was the first thing again?" he dead-panned.

"Stop making this all about you and save the city, Stark," Fury snapped.

Tony's lips thinned, knowing he was the better man for the job, but also knowing that he simply wasn't an option. He lifted a cautioning finger at Natasha. "You have to do everything I say, exactly as I say it," he warned her. "You know, something you've never done before. Can you wrap your head around the concept?"

"I do what I have to do," she said coolly, "always." Natasha pulled out a small torch from the belt around her waist and then promptly started to wiggle her way under the Carousel base.

"The bomb's in the middle," Tony directed her. He looked up at the overhead hanger. "So, Fury, you're the supposed leader of this glorious outfit," Tony noted. "Got any words of advice for your team?"

"Yeah," came the man's laconic reply, "don't set off the bomb."

"Thanks, Coach," said Tony mockingly, "very inspiring. Jarvis?"

"Sir?"

"Is Pepper still in the Avenger's Tower?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get her and her security detail down into the bunker." There was a brief pause and then Jarvis was back.

"Ms. Potts wishes to speak with you, sir."

Tony blew out a long-suffering breath. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Put her through."

Pepper's concerned voice was immediately in his ear. "Tony, why are you telling me to go down into the bunker, the _nuclear_ bunker?"

"I think I left the light on," said Tony brightly, "can you go and check for me, hon?"

"Tony, is there a nuclear device in the middle of New York City?" she asked tensely.

"There is an outside chance," Tony hedged. "I'm just being overly cautious. Take your team and go down to the bunker, Pepper."

"Is your suit able to withstand a nuclear blast?"

"Yes."

"Tony."

"Okay, probably, maybe, I'm not sure." His voice became serious. "Pepper, I have to see this through, I can't run away."

"I know," she said quietly.

"Pepper," said Tony, his voice low, "I need to know you're safe, I can't think if I know you're in danger."

"We have a charity benefit to go to tomorrow," she informed him unevenly, "and I'm not going alone, have you got that, Tony Stark?"

Tony smiled. "Got it. I'll be the handsome guy in the tux who's picking you up at eight."

"It starts at seven."

"We'll be fashionably late."

"I love you," said Pepper huskily, "now go and be Iron Man."

"Are you going to the bunker?"

"I'm on my way as we speak," she informed him. "Don't worry about me, Tony, just do what you have to do to come home to me in one piece."

Pepper hung up and Tony felt the relief wash through him knowing Pepper was safe. He hadn't been lying, the thought of Pepper in danger really did cloud his mental facilities. It was all he could do to stop himself from going and checking she was in that bunker himself.

"I'm looking at the casing of the bomb, Stark," Natasha's voice informed him.

Tony's mind was back on the job. "Can you take it off? We need to see what we're dealing with here."

"Already on it."

A few seconds ticked away and then Natasha was back in his ear. "The bomb is exposed." She paused briefly. "There doesn't seem to be any kind of timing device, so I'd say it can be set off remotely or by the motion sensors."

Tony nodded as he stood by the Carousel, forced to be on the sidelines for this one. "Can you see any wires? There should be a blue one and a red one."

"I can only see two blue ones," Natasha informed him.

"No," Tony argued, "there is always a red wire, look again."

"There are only two blue wires," Natasha reiterated calmly.

"There can't be," said Tony in frustration, "are you colour blind?"

Her reply was stoic. "I'm not colour blind and there is no red wire."

"It must be inside," Tony concluded, "you're going to have to get inside the bomb more." His mind raced. "Okay, Romanoff, you have to do exactly what I say, when I say it-" Tony's attention was caught by the approach of several of the praying mantis machines heading their way through the park. "Crap."

"Sorry, Stark," said Natasha coolly, "that's the one thing I can't do on command."

"Was that a joke?" asked Tony in disbelief. "I didn't realise you knew what one was." The first mantis was upon Tony and he blasted it with his repulsors, but just as quickly, another was coming at him. "Okay, we may need to delay your comedy hour debut, Romanoff, things are getting a bit crowded up here."

"I'm ready, tell me what needs to be done now."

"Find that red wire," said Tony as he dispatched another two mantises and could already see the first one he'd destroyed starting to come together again. "Then we'll talk."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve leapt agilely from machine to machine, lopping off their heads as he went with his shield. The mantises were reforming faster now and he knew there was no hope to defeat these machines unless what was controlling them could be destroyed and that couldn't happen until they got past that bomb. All he could do now was try and trust in Tony and Natasha to do their part in stopping these creatures and in the meantime, Steve was going to limit the amount of destruction they could cause. He leapt off the latest decapitated mantis and landed on the roof of an abandoned car just as another group of mantises approached him from down the street. Suddenly, there was another massing of the machines along the street on the other side of him and the large gathering of machines were now bearing down on him.

Above him Steve could feel and hear the thunder in the skies as Thor was dispatching the creatures in his own way. Steve tightened his grip on his shield, ready to work through the oncoming menaces one by one when they all suddenly stopped as one and looked up to the skies. Steve frowned, not having a good feeling about this and was quickly vindicated as the mantises promptly displayed wings which had been hidden away in their armoured backs and took to the skies. Without thinking, Steve immediately bolted towards the closest one and leapt as high as he could up in the air. He just managed to catch a hold of the machine's leg as it shot up into the sky. Looking around Steve could see that every other mantis in the city seemed to be doing the same thing, darkening the skies with their number. "Hey, Stark," he called out to his team mate, "whatever you're doing, I think you've got them worried, because you're about to get a whole lot of company heading your way."

"How many?" asked Tony tensely.

Steve looked around and saw that their number had covered half of New York's sky line. "I'm going to say all of them."

"Romanoff, you need to pull the lead out," Tony instructed his pupil. "Have you found that red wire yet?"

"No."

"What are you doing in there?" asked Tony in frustration as the sounds of him using his repulsors could be heard. "Reapplying your makeup?"

"Take your time and do this right, Natasha," came Hawkeye's voice with the sounds of wings beating going on around him. "We've got this, you don't need to rush."

Steve looked ahead and saw that the archer had obviously had the same idea he had and hitched a ride with one of the creatures. Hawkeye was sitting on the back of one of the machines though, as they all descended on Central Park.

"I've found another wire," said Natasha. "It's blue too."

"Are you kidding me?" asked Tony in exasperation.

"Maybe the bomb maker was the colour blind one?" Hawkeye suggested as he clung to the back of his winged transport.

"Which one do I have to cut, Stark?" she asked him.

"Are you sure there are no other wires?" asked Tony tersely.

"Yes."

"Give me a moment."

Steve and his mantis flew by the Hulk as Tony thought about his next move. The green beast was bouncing around in the air, swatting the machines out of the air with powerful sweeps of his arms and bellowing in frustration as they just kept on coming. "Hulk!" he called out. "Follow us!"

All Steve got for his trouble was an even louder roar from the Hulk as he grabbed one of the machines and started to swing it around and around, taking out a collection of other machines in the process and almost catching Steve's mantis at the same time. His mantis narrowly avoided the whirlpool of destruction the Hulk was creating and sped onto Central Park. Steve looked back over his shoulder to see Thor taking over.

The blonde man hovered over the Hulks head and sent a small bolt of electricity at him. The Hulk gave an annoyed grunt and glared up at Thor. "This way, my behemoth friend," Thor instructed him, "I will lead, you will follow."

Steve grimaced as the Hulk started to chase Thor now as he led him on a merry dance between all the buildings, managing to stay just out of reach. "You'd better make sure he doesn't catch you, Thor," Steve advised him. "He looks unhappy."

"The beast is always unhappy," said Thor simply. "I wish only to guide his anger to the appropriate place."

"You're starting to sound like Stark now," said Steve dryly.

"Perhaps Tony Stark has a point."

Tony's voice was suddenly interrupting them. "Did someone just say I was right?"

"Aren't you meant to be dismantling a bomb by proxy?" asked Steve in annoyance.

"I'm trying, but I keep getting distracted by trying not to die by the claws of a pack of praying mantises," said Tony sarcastically. "Any chance one of you hero types could help a guy out?"

They were directly above Central Park now and Steve looked down to see the Carousel being swamped by the mantises and Iron Man trying to fend them all off. He let go of the leg of his mantis and dropped from the sky to land neatly by Tony's side. He shot him a sideways look. "Like this, do you mean?" Steve neatly fended off a mantis attack and dispatched the creature at the same time.

By now Hawkeye, Thor and the Hulk were all forming a protective ring around the Carousel, determined to protect it and the explosive cargo it contained. The mantises seemed equally as driven to stop them though, as they surged in on the Avengers in a swarming attack which had all of them fighting for their lives.

"All of them!" Tony shouted, the effort of all the fighting starting to show in his voice as he took down mantis after mantis, only to have another ten take their place. "Cut all the wires at once!"

Natasha hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"What if you're wrong?" Steve grunted as he slice through yet another mantis and narrowly avoided taking laser fire to the chest.

"Then we'll all be vapourised immediately," said Tony simply, ducking and weaving more mantis attacks. "Do it, Romanoff, we can't hold them for much longer. This is going to work, I know it. Cut all the wires at once."

"I'm doing it," said Natasha.

Everything seemed to slow down for Steve as he continued to fight off the mantises. The milliseconds ticked by as he unconsciously braced to be blown to smithereens. A full second went by, and then another. "Have you done it?" he bit out the question.

"Yes," said Natasha, "I think it's worked."

"Jarvis," barked Tony, "scan the bomb."

"The device is deactivated," Jarvis informed him calmly.

"Wow," said Tony in amazement, "that worked. What were the odds?"

Hawkeye rapidly strung three arrows in a row and took out three mantises in turn as he snapped at Tony in annoyance. "You said you knew what you were doing!"

"I had a hunch," said Tony, using his unibeam now to destroy more mantises.

"You almost killed us all because of a hunch?" Hawkeye asked angrily.

"Hey," said Tony, "my hunches are always right." He clarified. "Almost always right."

"Unbelievable," Hawkeye ground out. "Natasha, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said shortly, "someone want to take care of that radio controlling device or did I just stick my face in a nuclear bomb for the hell of it?"

"We're having a few technical issues," Tony grunted as he and Steve were both overrun by the mantises.

Steve fought to breath as the sheer number of the mantises was just too much. He was continuing to fight, but out of the corner of his eye Steve saw Tony disappear into the mass of teeming silver bodies as they overran him. "Thor!" he ground out as he also was enveloped by the creatures. "Can you get to the ring?"

"Nay, tis too many of the winged vermin," came Thor's muffled response as he obviously was having the same problem as the incredible numbers of the machines overwhelmed them completely.

There was one last chance and Steve could hear it bellowing angrily amongst the sound of metal wings and legs grinding together. "Hulk, we need you!" His only answer was a roar which hurt Steve's ears as even more of the mantises piling in on top of him...

**A/N****:** I did mention I was the Queen of Cliffhangers, right? ;) Stay tuned, the next chapter hopefully won't be too far away. :D


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N****:** And here we go with what happens next. Hope you enjoy this tip of the iceberg for the drama that is to come... :D

**Chapter Three**

Nick Fury stood with his hands behind his back on the boardwalk of the command centre of his floating SHIELD base. He pursed his lips and eyed each of the slightly bedraggled heroes standing and sitting in front of him in turn. Fury then turned his attention to all of the carnage on show through the vast windows of the control deck. New York City was a sea of smoke and flames and even from the height they were at, sirens could be heard as every emergency service in the entire city was mobilised to clean up after the destruction of all the mantis attack. Fury tapped his finger against the back of his hand and then looked back at the Avengers, finally speaking. "So," he said calmly, "would someone care to explain just what the hell happened down there after the bomb was dismantled?"

"I almost had the guy-"

"I was left on my own to try and collect the evidence-"

"I was trying to stop a national monument from being completely destroyed-"

"The beast needed to be handled-"

"I was waiting on orders-"

Fury held up a hand to silence them as they all spoke at once, everyone except for the Hulk that is, who was down in the cargo bay being watched by very nervous SHIELD agents. Everyone stopped talking abruptly as Fury glared them down.

Tony couldn't help himself, of course. "It's amazing just how much disapproval you can get into that one eye, Fury," Tony marvelled. "It's impressive, truly it is."

"I'm waiting to hear what went wrong," said Fury dourly, ignoring the other man's attempt at humour.

Tony waved a casual hand at him. "Technically speaking, nothing went wrong. We dismantled the bomb and stopped the mantises. Yay for us, we're all heroes."

Fury folded his arms in front of himself and arched a silent eyebrow at Tony.

Because Tony's face mask was retracted, Fury could see the billionaire pull a face. "There may have been one or two hiccups," Tony conceded. He sent an unimpressed look the rest of the team's way. "A little back up would have been nice though."

"Funny," said Steve flatly, "that was what I was thinking."

Fury jabbed a finger at Tony. "Okay, Stark, you give me your version of events and we'll take it from there."

"Gladly," said Tony happily. "Like I said, I'd just cleverly disarmed the bomb-"

"On a hunch," Hawkeye inserted in annoyance. "And it was Natasha who did the actual disarming."

"A hunch that paid off," said Tony smoothly, "and then all we had to do was destroy the radio signal device."

Fury just regarded him steadily. "That sounds like the easy part."

Tony pulled a face. "It kind of was and it wasn't."

Fury jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the Statue of Liberty below them. "Is the wasn't part why our Lady Liberty is missing a limb now?" asked Fury flatly.

Tony held up a hand. "Hey, I don't know what happened there, all I know is what happened when I was left trying to pick up the pieces, literally."

Fury inclined his head. "Do tell, Mr. Stark, we're all waiting."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Hulk, we need you!"

Tony heard Steve call out to the Hulk and the answering roar and gave it his best shot even as he fought against the weight of the mantises piling in on top of him. The Hulk was the only one left who was strong enough to pull the radio signaller out of the Carousel. "Hulk, listen to me, it's the talky man," said Tony urgently. "Grab the glowy blue thing. It's bad, get rid of it!"

"Hulk smash bitie things!" he raged.

"Get rid of the glowy blue thing and you won't have to," Tony tried to reason with him. "Go on, get the ring, go on, there's a good boy."

"He's not a dog," came Steve's complaint from where he was buried under his own pile of mantises.

"The Hulk is house trained," Tony argued, "teaching him to fetch isn't that big of a step up from that."

"NO!" yelled Hawkeye. "NO HULK NOT THAT!"

Tony couldn't see what was happening but suddenly Natasha voices came through his receiver. "What's happening, what are you lot doing up there?" she exclaimed with the first sounds of anxiety in her voice.

"The Hulk just tore the top off the Carousel," said Hawkeye around the sounds of his continuing fight with the mantises. "He's going to kill her! Natasha!"

"I'm alright," came her muffled reply, "but I'm trapped, the roof just came down on me."

"That's because the Hulk is standing on the Carousel now," said Hawkeye in frustration. "Get off, you're crushing her!"

"Grab the blue thing first, Hulk!" Tony yelled at him, knowing it was the only way they could really help Natasha and themselves.

There was the sound of snapping wood and renting metal and then suddenly the writhing of the mantises stopped. Tony pushed against the weight of the metal of the abruptly lifeless mantises and surfaced from the pile of now lifeless machines at the same time the rest of the Avengers did. Tony turned around and saw the Hulk holding the large, round, radio signaller above his head. The device was now grey and no longer glowing. "Get rid of it!" Tony commanded him, more thinking about getting the large beast off the Carousel then any real worry about the now defunct device.

Amazingly, the Hulk did as he was told, swinging it into the air with all of his might and then leaping off the Carousel.

Hawkeye was instantly on his knees, trying to get to Natasha. "Are you alright?" he called out to her.

"Yes," she replied impatiently, "stop asking me that. I'm just trapped now."

Jarvis' voice suddenly came to Tony. "Sir, the radio signalling device has just been activated."

Tony looked around at the still unmoving praying mantises. "No, it hasn't."

"Sorry, sir," said Jarvis apologetically, "I misspoke, what I meant to say is that it's been activated for its secondary function."

"Which is what?" asked Tony, already pretty sure of the answer.

"An incendiary device."

"Another bomb?" asked Steve in frustration. "You're kidding me, right?"

"It's not a nuclear device," Jarvis informed them all, "but it does have a sizeable destructive load on board."

"Go after the bomb," Natasha ordered them, "leave me, I'm fine!"

Hawkeye hesitated but Thor was taking her at her word. "You are with me, Archer. I may have need of your deadly aim." Tony saw Hawkeye grimace, obviously reluctant to leave Natasha but he then took Thor's offered hand and they shot up into the air after the ring which the Hulk had just dispatched with such power.

The Hulk grunted to see them going after his new toy and leapt into the air, seemingly determined to get to the explosive ring before they did. Tony would have gone after them but just then all of the mantises started to come apart. He watched in renewed amazement as the creatures dismantled themselves into a sea of metal pieces. "What the hell?" he asked of no one in particular. The pieces started to move of their own accord now and Tony very quickly worked out what they were doing, particularly as the hundreds of the little pieces simply seemed to be dissolving into his armour. Tony immediately jetted up into the air to get away from them. "Jarvis!" he barked. "Diagnostics, my suits been compromised."

There was a brief pause. "Suit integrity is intact, sir," replied Jarvis.

"It can't be," argued Tony as he looked down to see the bits of metal now seeking out any other kind of metal they could find to absorb into. The pile of mantis bits became a writhing sea of metal as all the pieces instinctively sort out the nearest metal sources to be absorbed by. "I saw the mantis pieces integrate with my suit, check again."

"The metal has become inert on combining with your suit alloy, sir," said Jarvis.

Tony shook his head in amazement. "I need to get some of this metal back to the lab," he muttered. The trouble was he couldn't actually touch the stuff without it combining with his suit. "Cap," he called out, "help me grab some of this metal before it all goes." Tony looked around as he hovered above the quickly disappearing metal to discover the other man was no longer there. "Hey, Frosty, where are you?" he tried again.

"Captain America's comms seem to be damaged, sir," Jarvis informed him.

"Great," said Tony in exasperation, "just when I actually had a use for the guy." He grimaced. "What now, I've got to get some of these things back to the lab."

"You can take these."

Tony swung round in the air to see a dirt-covered Natasha standing over a glass case which used to be the top part of the ticket box to get into the little carnival. She'd obviously disconnected it and then simply dropped it on a stack of the metal parts which were even now clawing up the sides of their glass prison with no way to escape. Tony looked her up and down. "Oh yeah, I was coming to rescue you."

She gave him a cool look. "Do I look like I need rescuing?"

"I guess not." Enough of the metal pieces had disappeared that Tony was able to land on the ground now. He walked over and squatted down beside the tumbling metal parts in their glass container. Tony tapped the jar. "You and I have a date back at the lab, fellas." The sound of tearing metal came to them from a distance and Tony straightened up. "That didn't sound like the noise of happy," he noted and gave a quick nod to Natasha. "You guard the evidence, I'll check it out." Before she could reply, Tony shot up into the air and looked around for what might have caused that noise. It didn't take him long to notice that the Statue of Liberty's right arm was on a strange lean, looking as though it was about to break off. "Well, that's not good," he noted before jetting off to see what could be done about the situation.

**oooOOOOooo**

"But when I got there it was already too late," Tony finished his story. "The arm had come off and there wasn't much to be done about it."

"I see," said Fury steadily. "Before we get onto what happened to the statue," he looked over at Steve, "where were you, Captain?"

"I was hunting down the guy who caused all of this," said Steve in frustration.

Tony made a show of looking around. "Is the guy really short, because I can't see him?"

Steve glared at him. "He got away."

"I thought you were meant to be a super soldier," Tony noted. "Super can out run crazy any day, everyone knows that."

Steve's lips tightened. "It got complicated."

"We're listening, Captain," said Fury. "How about you tell us about these... complications?"

"Well," said Steve slowly, "I saw this man, this white black man at the Carousel."

Hawkeye looked at him sideways. "Excuse me?"

Steve shrugged. "I think he was an albino, he was a totally white, black man, like I said."

Tony gave him a suspicious look. "This is sounding hinky already."

"Are you going to let me tell you what happened or what?" asked Steve flatly.

"Okay," said Tony and waggled a finger at him, "but after that start, if there isn't a unicorn in this story then I'm going to be really disappointed. Just sayin'."

Steve sent Fury a dark look. "Just ignore him," said Fury, "and tell your story, Steve."

Steve nodded. "Like I said, I saw this albino black man by the Carousel..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Steve fought his way out from underneath the now defunct mantis machines just as he heard Tony make a surprised sound.

"What the hell?"

Steve looked around to see the pieces were moving around and he tensed, expecting them to reassemble but it seemed they had other plans. He watched on in amazement as the pieces fought to find their way to some metal, where they promptly seemed to disappear into it. Steve saw Iron Man's armour take on the fragments as well.

Tony shot up into the air, attempting to shake those still being absorbed off. "Jarvis!" he barked. "Diagnostics, my suits been compromised."

"Suit integrity is intact, sir."

"It can't be. I saw the mantis pieces integrate with my suit, check again."

"The metal has become inert on combining with your suit alloy, sir."

Steve looked down at his shield and saw the metal fragments were attempting to bond with his shield, but failing. He opened his mouth to tell Tony this piece of pertinent information when Steve's eye was caught by a man appearing from a ticket box at the entrance of the little carnival. The man seemed to be African American, but his skin and hair was a deathly white colour and his eyes such a pale blue they were almost white as well. Their eyes met and the other man looked instantly afraid and turned around, starting to run in the opposite direction. Steve leapt to his feet and ran over the top of the writhing metal pieces in hot pursuit. "Stark!" he called out. "I think I've got the guy who did this!" There was no answer from his comms ear piece and Steve was already out of eyeshot of Tony as he chased down the man dodging and weaving through the trees in front of him. His comms must have been damaged in the mantis melee but Steve couldn't worry about that now. He had to catch the man in front of him because no one ran this fast without something to hide.

Steve lost him for a moment when the trees became thicker, but then the sound of a motor bike roaring to life helped him find the other man again. He bolted out from a line of trees just in time to see his fast-footed albino friend making a getaway on a stolen motor bike. Steve glanced over to see that there were actually a line of motor bikes which could be rented to take a ride on.

"Cap!" Steve turned at the sound of his name just in time to catch some keys which had been thrown his way by a bald headed young man. The young man grinned at him. "Go get 'em, Cap."

Steve gave a half-smile and nodded his appreciation for the help before leaping on the nearest bike and taking off after the absconding man. He leant down over the front of the bike and opened it right up, intent on catching up with the albino man. Very quickly Steve was out of the park and onto the street and had the man in his sights again. They were both forced to dodge the carnage the mantises had left in their wake as they weaved through the broken streets of New York City's centre on their bikes. The man kept throwing frantic looks back over his shoulder at him while Steve kept his unblinking gaze on the man in front of him. He was closing the gap between them, despite all the manoeuvring they had to do around the many obstacles in the way of broken buildings, cars and buses.

As the man rounded the next corner, he lost control of his bike and skidded along the bitumen of the road, eventually tumbling off his bike. Steve leapt off his bike and rolled gracefully to his feet and continued to run without missing a beat. The albino man pulled out a gun and started firing at him as he scrambled to his feet and continued to run. Steve protected himself with his shield, ducking behind it and feeling as the bullets bounced off the vibrantium. As soon as the bullets stopped, Steve was in hot pursuit again. Out of the corner of his eye Steve saw a young, blonde woman with a group of twenty or so children around her who looked to be no more than six or seven years old. "Take cover!" he yelled at them and saw the young woman run to usher the children to safety.

Steve looked back at the albino in time to see him reach into his coat jacket. The man threw the contents up in the air and at first Steve thought they were silver ball bearings, but then the little metal balls suddenly sprouted wings and he realised he was looking at a tiny version of the praying mantises the Avengers had been battling all afternoon. Steve expected the creatures to hone in on him, only they didn't. Instead, they headed directly for one of the children who had not been able to keep up with his classmates. The child had tripped and fallen over some rubble and was lying completely exposed in the street. The hordes of miniature menaces were making a beeline for the helpless little boy.

"Joshua!" he heard the blonde woman scream from across the road and before Steve could yell for her to stay where she was, the woman was running back across to the child and throwing her body over the top of his to protect him from the oncoming danger.

For a split second Steve was torn. In an instant he knew this had been the albino's plan, to force him to choose between continuing to pursue him and protecting innocent bystanders. It galled Steve to let the other man escape, but there was no real choice for him. He ran towards the woman and child huddled together in the open and managed to reach them just as the tiny mantises descended on them shooting lasers from their eyes, just like their larger counterparts. Steve wrapped a protective arm around the woman who was holding the child close and held up his shield. The laser fire bounced off the vibrantium as they started their unrelenting attack.

Steve could feel the woman shaking underneath him even as she kept her voice impressively calm as she reassured the child beneath them both. "It's alright, Joshua," she whispered to him, "Captain America is here, you don't have to be afraid. We're both safe."

The young woman's complete faith in him made Steve even more determined to protect them both. He put his lips to her ear. "I'm going to draw them away, take the boy and run when I say go," he said urgently to her. The woman nodded her head and Steve saw her take a tight grip of the boy's hand. Steve lunged at the mantises as he yelled at the woman. "GO!" Steve glanced behind him and saw the woman and boy run to the cover of a nearby shop front where the rest of children were cowering. Steve was now able to give his full attention to the tiny army of potentially lethal bugs which were still trying to shoot him down as he bobbed and weaved about. He brought his shield down on a collection of them and smashed them into the ground. The pieces wiggled on the ground and Steve quickly kicked half of the pieces down a nearby drain, knowing they'd have a lot more trouble regrouping now. He was turning to face down the rest of the buzzing mantises when there was a sudden cry nearby.

"Look out!" he heard the woman cry and Steve turned his head just in time to have her tackle him to the ground. She wasn't very big, but because he'd been slightly unbalanced already and not expecting it, the two of them crashed to the ground as Steve felt a bullet rush by the side of his face and the sound of two bangs coming almost simultaneously. From where he was on the ground Steve craned his neck to see the albino on the other side of the street holding a smoking gun. When he saw Steve was still alive though, he threw the most likely empty gun away and started to run again. The young woman was still lying on top of him, looking down at him with wide, hazel eyes, her round face framed by shoulder length blonde hair. Steve looked back at her. "Are you alright?" he asked her quickly, wanting to go after the albino, but needing to make sure his unexpected rescuer was alright first.

She blinked a couple of times, her face pale. "I-I think I've been shot," she whispered unevenly.

Steve's heart dropped at hearing that. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know," she said shakily, "I've never been shot before."

Very gently Steve pushed against her shoulders and sat up, turning the woman over so now she was in his arms. His gaze swept her body and immediately saw the creeping red stain on her left side. On instinct Steve pressed a glove hand to her wound. She emitted a tiny gasp of pain and he gave her an anguished look. "I'm sorry," said Steve unhappily, "I have to stem the bleeding."

She gave him a brave smile. "I know, it's alright, it doesn't hurt, not really."

Steve knew she was lying to make him feel better and it made him feel worse. He was meant to protect the civilians, not get them shot. Why hadn't he seen what the albino was up to? Why had he let his attention get so distracted by those damn bugs that an innocent woman had to push him out of the way of an oncoming bullet and ended up taking it for him?

"Miss O'Brien, are you alright?"

Steve looked up to see the tremulous question was asked by the boy she'd called Joshua, the one Steve had originally been trying to protect. The rest of the children were crowding around them, all with traumatised looks on their tear streaked faces.

The woman in Steve's arms fixed a bright smile on her face. "I'm alright, class, don't worry. Captain America is just going to help me up, because he's a gentleman." She looked up at him, still with that calm smile on her lips. "Isn't that right, Captain America?"

Steve hesitated, not sure that her standing up was a good idea right then as he wasn't certain how bad her injuries really were. There was a steely determination in the young woman's eyes though that told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer and frighten the children anymore. Miss O'Brien surreptitiously pulled her coat over her wound as Steve very carefully helped her to her feet. He kept his hand on her back as he felt her sway a little bit but her cool and calm collected façade never wavered.

"There you go," she said cheerfully, "everything is fine. Now, has everyone still got their buddies? Pair up for me, class, so I can do a head count."

The traumatised children immediately followed the simple request, seemingly grateful to have some order back in their lives as they took their buddy's hands and dutifully waited to be counted. Miss O'Brien did a quick head count and then smiled. "That's wonderful, good job everyone." She turned to Steve. "And now let's all thank Captain America for looking after us before he goes."

"Thank you, Captain America," the children repeated the children in an uneven chorus as they looked up at him with varying degrees of curiosity and awe.

Steve forced a smile to his lips for their gratitude, even though he didn't feel like he deserved it. "Thanks, kids, you've all been very brave."

"You should go," Miss O'Brien urged him, "I'm sure you've got somewhere more important to be, Captain."

The albino was long gone by now and even if he wasn't, Steve knew he couldn't leave now. "I'm not going anywhere," he said earnestly, "not until I know you're being looked after."

"I'm sure there will be help along soon," she said with an uneven smile. "Really, I know you must be needing to meet up with the rest of the Avengers."

Just then, all the street and shop lights suddenly went out in an abrupt black out and in the distance Steve could hear the sound of electricity sparking. The children huddled closer together and looked around themselves nervously. Steve put his arm around the young woman and guided her to a nearby bench, making her sit down. "I'm going to find you some help," he said determinedly. "Stay here and don't move." He looked at the children. "Kids, you make sure Miss O'Brien doesn't move, okay?"

All of their little heads bobbed up and down obediently at Steve's request. He looked back at Miss O'Brien who was looking very pale now. "I'll be right back, okay?" he said in a low voice. "Hang in there."

She gave a weak smile and nodded. "Okay."

**oooOOOOooo**

"And was the maiden alright in the end?"

Steve looked over at Thor at his innocent question. "I got the woman shot," he snapped, "so no, she's not alright." He grimaced, knowing the other man had only been concerned for her and instantly regretted taking his guilty conscience out on the Asgardian. "Sorry, Thor, I mean, I found a paramedic to come and look after her and they said her wound wasn't too bad. The bullet sliced her side and she was going to be fine, but she still had to go to hospital to be taken care of."

"It's not your fault the woman got shot, Captain," said Natasha evenly.

"Yes, it was," said Steve in aggravation.

"It was her choice to try and protect you," said Natasha, not backing down.

"It wasn't her job to protect me," Steve ground out. "It was mine to protect her and those kids."

"Hey, look at it this way," said Tony in an overly jovial voice, "you've given the woman a real story to tell now. Who else can say they've faced death trying to protect Captain America?" He paused. "Except for Bucky maybe... but then that didn't turn out so great, I guess."

Steve scowled at him. "Is this you trying to make me feel better, Stark?"

"Yes."

"Don't ever do it again," Steve instructed him darkly.

Tony nodded. "I get that," he said ruefully.

Fury interrupted them. "What happened was regrettable, Steve, but it's done now. What we need to focus on is who caused this whole thing in the first place."

"I told you," said Steve tightly, "the albino got away."

"We'll need a more detailed description from you and we'll see what our databases throw up," said Fury.

Tony rolled his eyes. "You're looking for an albino black man with an IQ at least in the one hundred and fifties," he said laconically. "Your database can't be heaving with them."

Fury ignored the dig. "I'm still waiting to hear why our Lady of the Lamp is sans the lamp these days, and why three quarters of New York is without power right now." He gave a pointed look at Hawkeye. "Care to explain, Agent Barton?"

Hawkeye didn't look like he was keen to tell his story, but he wasn't one to disobey a direct request. "Things took a downward swing in the mission, sir," he said reluctantly.

"If they're giving out awards for understatements this year," said Fury dryly, "I think we just found our winner. What exactly went wrong out there, Agent?"

Hawkeye grimaced. "In a word, sir, everything..."

**A/N: As you can see, a lot was going on so I had to break it up into individual chapters like this. Hope it doesn't break the action flow down too much. Next we find out what Thor, Hulk and Hawkeye got up to when left to their own devices. ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Go after the bomb," Natasha ordered them, "leave me, I'm fine!"

Thor stuck his hand out to Hawkeye. "You are with me, Archer. I may have need of your deadly aim."

Hawkeye glanced down at the partially crushed Carousel and grimaced. He didn't want to leave Natasha under all of that, but the job wasn't over yet and she was telling him to go. Hawkeye grabbed Thor's arm and held on tight as the demi-god shot up into the air, with him in tow. The ring which was now glowing a yellowish colour was easy to spot, even as it hurtled off in the sky line. Thor immediately flew after it.

"Maybe it'll be alright," Hawkeye shouted at Thor. "It's heading towards the water." He squinted as he got a better line on the hurtling object. "Tell me that thing isn't heading for the Statue of Liberty."

"Is this Liberty Statue the tall maiden with the book and lamp?" Thor quizzed him.

"Yes."

"Then, yes," said Thor evenly, "I believe they will indeed collide."

"We can't let that happen," said Hawkeye urgently. "We have to stop it!"

"I am flying as fast as I can, Archer," Thor informed him. "I fear the ring will reach its destination before we will."

"The Statue of Liberty can't be blown up," said Hawkeye tightly, "not on my watch." He glanced down and tried to calculate what kind of fall out there would be for the people below if he detonated the thing mid-air. Hawkeye quickly strung an explosive arrow to his bow and took aim but before he could fire the Hulk suddenly swooped in and batted the ring. It shot forward at a huge speed and Hawkeye watched in distress as the large ring got caught on the raised, right arm of the Statue of Liberty and swung around and around on it like a shiny, new bracelet for the icon. "Damn it!" he growled and then watched on in distress as the statue's up stretched arm seemed to suddenly have a strange lean to it.

The force of the ring hitting the arm had busted bolts from their home and torn metal and to Hawkeye's horror, the arm began to break off. "NO!" he yelled. Quickly selecting his specially designed net arrows, he fired beneath the arm which was coming away under its own weight now. It snapped off with an almighty sound of shredding metal and plummeted towards the earth. Hawkeye rapidly fired a series of arrows, each one throwing out nets to try and catch the arm before it was destroyed even more with the impact on the ground. The nets strung out between the base of the statue and the platform the entire monument rested on, catching the arm and slowing its descent. In the meantime, the Hulk had grabbed the ring and was holding onto it.

"Throw it into the sea, brute!" Thor ordered him.

The Hulk landed on Liberty Island, still holding onto the ring and roared his disapproval at being told what to do. Thor dropped Hawkeye to the ground as he faced off against the Hulk. He shot over and grabbed one part of the ring and attempted to wrench it from the Hulk's grasp. The Hulk refused to let go. He swung Thor violently off the ring and into the base of the statue, rattling the entire structure as stone flew everywhere from the impact of the large man.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" The disbelieving question came from above them as Iron Man jetted in and looked down at the carnage.

"We're saving the statue," said Hawkeye urgently, keeping a nervous eye on his series of nets which were beginning to slip with their heavy cargo.

"If that's true then why can the old gal only count to five now?" asked Tony in exasperation as he took in the now one-armed statue.

"The Hulk has taken a liking to the ring," said Hawkeye in annoyance, "great job on getting him to dispatch that by the way. Now we can't get the stupid thing off him."

"Everyone remembers it's a bomb, right, and it's probably not a good thing to be just hanging around chatting while it decides to go off?" asked Tony in disbelief. He shook his head. "If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself."

Thor was just crawling out of the base of monument, shaking stone chips out of his long hair. "The Hulk will not part with his new toy, Tony Stark."

"I'm not askin'," said Tony defiantly as jetted over to where the Hulk was still holding onto the ring. The Hulk batted at Tony with his free hand, but Tony still managed to get a hold of the ring and pull hard. "What is this thing made of?" grunted Tony as even with the might of Iron Man pulling one way and a stubborn Hulk pulling the other way, the casing of the device didn't crack.

That couldn't be said of the Statue of Liberty however as Thor's impromptu visit with its foundation now had the statue starting to creak and take on a disconcerting lean to the left.

Hawkeye grimaced. "Okay, I don't have a net big enough if she all goes."

Meanwhile, the battle raged above their heads between the Hulk and Iron Man now that Tony had moved the battle to the sky. "Give it up, Kermit!" bit out Tony. "This isn't for you!" He gave one last violent tug and managed to tear the device out of the Hulk's hands. Tony actually hadn't been expecting to win that particular tug of war and it slipped out of his hands and hurtled behind him and headed over to the mainland. The ring sailed on for a distance and everyone watched as the ring connected with the East River Generating Station and smashed into the top of the building.

"Uh oh," said Tony.

Hawkeye flinched, imagining the bomb going off at any moment, but instead, it seemed to be absorbing all the power from the station and it was so much that its circuits were finally overloaded and the glowing ring simply winked out. Unfortunately, so did half of New York it seemed as the generating station was completely neutralised in the process. Even from where he was standing Hawkeye could see lights all over the city abruptly going out.

Tony came to land beside him, and pulled a regretful face. ""Okay, guys," he said quickly, "anyone asks, that was totally what we were going for."

"We were going for destroying a national monument and taking out the entire eastern electricity board?" asked Hawkeye flatly.

"Don't worry," said Tony blithely, "when we retell this story, we're going to sound way more heroic."

**oooOOOOooo**

Nick Fury regarded Tony steadily with his one good eye. "And in what way were you going to make any of that sound heroic, Mr. Stark?"

Tony shrugged. "No one's dead, that's got to count in our favour, right? And the Statue of Liberty is still standing." He glanced over his shoulder at the view below. "Admittedly she's got a bit of a slant to her now but that worked out just fine for that tower in Pisa. In fact, I bet this makes her even more popular."

"And the missing arm?" asked Fury coolly.

"The Venus de Milo is a big hit with no arms," Tony pointed out. Fury didn't look impressed so Tony backtracked. "Okay, so, we may need to fix that. A lot of women her age get a little work done, it's no big deal." He looked over at Natasha. "Isn't that right, Agent Romanoff?"

She gave him a cool look. "What would I know about plastic surgery, Stark?"

Tony looked innocent. "I just assumed you'd have picked up some insider knowledge when they removed your conscience and soul," he said sweetly.

"Build a bridge and get over it," Natasha advised him dismissively. "I did what I was ordered to do when we first met and I'd do it again, in a heartbeat."

"Assuming you have a heart," Tony shot back at her.

"So, when I'm asked to give a report to the President about this little debacle, this is what you want me to tell him?" asked Fury dourly.

"Just tell him you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs," said Tony unapologetically.

Fury gave them all a dark look. "You know, a lot of carnage could have been avoided and the instigator of this attack actually apprehended if you'd all worked together as a team."

"We're not a team," said Steve sharply. "You give us a name and you call us one, but that doesn't make it true."

"Nonetheless, you're all going to learn how to work as one," said Fury determinedly. "I didn't spend the last ten years putting this team together just to have it end like this. The earth needs you and we're going to make this work, damn it."

Tony eyed him speculatively. "Is this the part where you give us all a smack and send us to bed without any supper?"

"No," said Fury evenly, "this is the part where you go and collect the Hulk and start helping clean up your mess." He looked at Clint and Natasha. "Hawkeye, Black Widow, I expect full reports from both of you on my desk by the end of the day. We'll need them to do analysis on them and see what went wrong." Fury glared at them all. "Well, what are you all waiting for? I've got a big, green monster in my docking bay and I'd like that taken care of now."

Tony couldn't resist. "I hear you can get a cream for that nowadays, it's called Preparation H... the H is for Hulk."

"Do you think you're amusing me, Mr. Stark?" asked Fury coldly.

Tony pulled a face. "I like to think you're laughing on the inside."

Fury gave him a dark look. "I'm not."

"Guess I'm just going to have to try harder," said Tony chirpily as he breezed by the unhappy Director of SHIELD.

Tony, Natasha, Clint, Steve and Thor all stepped into the elevator which would take them to the docking bay where the Hulk was still hopefully waiting for them. Clint pressed his communicator. "Agent Steele, we're coming to collect the Hulk, has he reverted back to Doctor Banner yet?"

"No, sir," came the somewhat nervous sounding reply, "and he's doing a lot of pacing."

"Worry when he stops pacing and starts pounding," Steve advised the man.

Clint hung up and shook his head. "Why hasn't the guy changed back yet?"

"The Hulk is a law unto himself," said Tony easily. "He does what he wants, when he wants. It's kinda his thing." Tony gave the other man a sideways look. "You know what your problem is with the Hulk?"

"The very high probability that at any moment he could liquefy every bone in my body with a single blow?" Clint offered up calmly.

Tony shook his head. "No," he said confidently, "you aren't used to working with the guy."

"No," said Clint evenly, "I really feel like it's the liquefying thing."

"You should come to our training sessions," said Tony with great certainty. "That way, the big guy will get used to you and you'll get used to him."

Clint pulled a face. "Locking myself in a confined space with a rampaging monster doesn't sound that great."

"Actually," interjected Thor, "it is most entertaining, my archer friend."

Steve nodded. "It's true, watching the Hulk bat Tony around like a chew toy is a lot of fun, and profitable. I made fifty bucks last time."

Thor looked unimpressed. "Verily, I did not believe the Hulk would take the ear piece and I still believe implanting it in Bruce Banner before he transformed was cheating."

"Hulk didn't tear it out," Steve reasoned, "so I take that as a win."

Clint eyed them suspiciously. "Aren't you guys worried he's going to kill you all in your sleep?"

"The thought has occurred," said Steve dryly.

Tony looked between Clint and Natasha with interest. "So, I'm picking up a lot of sexual chemistry here. You two showing each other your SHIELD badges after hours or what?"

Clint glared at him and Natasha looked coolly dismissive.

Tony continued on, expression completely serious as he addressed Clint. "And if you are, do you have to wear some kind of testicle locking device so she doesn't attempt to leave with them in the morning?"

"Ignore him," Steve advised them. "He gets bored in confined spaces."

Tony gave Steve an outraged look. "That's not true." He looked back at Clint. "It's a little bit true," he admitted in a stage whisper.

"Sir, proximity alert." Jarvis interrupted Tony's interrogation.

Jarvis immediately had all of Tony's attention in an instant. "How close are they?"

"Within one thousand, six hundred feet."

"Damn it," Tony bit out.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Steve, his tone becoming tense.

"Yes," said Tony, jabbing at the elevator buttons, needing for the thing to move faster now.

"What's wrong?" asked Natasha. "What kind of proximity alert is this?"

The elevator doors slid open as Iron Man's face shield slid down and locked into place. "Justin Hammer, he's closing in on Pepper." The only thought in Tony's head now was getting to Pepper. He ran out into the docking bay and immediately jetted out of the carrier, jets on full thrust to get back to the Avenger's tower before Hammer got any closer to the woman he loved...

**A/N: For those of you keen for some Pepperony interaction, you'll have it in the next couple of chapters, so hope you enjoy. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, so there didn't end up being as much Pepperony in this chapter as I'd expected, but there is plenty more to come, so you should all be able to get your fix soon enough. :D **

**Chapter Six**

"Yes, sir, Mr. Stark, I understand, but Ms. Potts doesn't wish to leave the building."

Pepper blew out a vaguely annoyed breath as she watched her chief bodyguard communicating with Tony. Lewis Martin was an ex-Navy Seal who had finally been one of three men to make it through the exhaustive selection process to make up Pepper's security detail. The other two men, Cody Matthews and John Michaels, an ex-Ranger and Marine respectively, rounded out the crew. Tony had wanted Pepper to have ten bodyguards but she'd told him he was being ridiculous and she couldn't possibly work with a swarm of people around her day and night. In the end, the men they'd chosen had turned out to be very discrete and the intrusion in her life hadn't been anywhere near as bad as Pepper had originally feared. She'd actually grown quite fond of them.

She looked over at the blonde-haired, blued-eyed and chiselled jaw Lewis and shook her head. "Tell him I'm going to meet with Justin Hammer and everything is perfectly fine." Pepper glanced over at the monitors which showed that Justin was now in the foyer of the building, being patted down by Cody as Lewis communicated her wishes to Tony. Justin was holding a large bunch of white roses in a glass vase which were also being closely scrutinised by John.

Lewis' expression didn't change. "Mr. Stark is expressing reservations, ma'am," he said steadily.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Hang up, Lewis, otherwise he'll drive you crazy."

Lewis obeyed her without hesitation and Pepper couldn't help but smile a little bit. It drove Tony insane that her security detail followed her instructions over his, but that had been the proviso of her actually going along with the security detail in the first place. She had to be the one in charge of them otherwise it wasn't going to work. Pepper suspected Tony had only agreed because he assumed he'd be able to get the other men to do whatever he wanted, but as it turned out, her detail really understood the whole concept of hierarchy and the fact that Pepper was at the top.

"We're on our way up." Cody's voice came over the intercom to tell them the three of them were travelling to Pepper's office via the elevator.

Her phone rang and Pepper knew it was Tony. She quickly answered. "I'm busy right now, Tony, and don't think we're not going to have a conversation about how it was you knew that Justin was coming to see me." Before Tony could answer Pepper hung up and went to stand in front of her desk and assumed a calm, unreadable expression as she waited for Justin to be escorted to her office. Pepper wanted to know what Justin had to say for himself and she particularly wanted him to know that she wasn't afraid of him. Lewis settled himself a little ways to her left, far enough away to not crowd her, but close enough to take control if Justin was stupid enough to try anything.

The elevator doors slid open and Justin stepped out, grinning at her over the large vase of roses. "Well, hello, Pepper, don't you look lovelier than ever," he said brightly.

Pepper just regarded him steadily. "What are you doing here, Justin?" she asked coolly.

His smile didn't waver at her icy reception. "I'm here to make amends and beg forgiveness." He held out the vase of exquisite white roses which still had droplets of water clinging to their perfumed petals and making the arrangement almost seem to shimmer. "You see, I'm waving my white flag and hoping we can go back to being friends again."

Pepper didn't move to accept the offered flowers and folded her arms in front of her chest. "I wasn't aware friends tried to kidnap and kill each other."

Justin made a regretful face as he sat the vase of roses down on her coffee table when it became clear Pepper wasn't going to take them. "All I can tell you is that I was in a dark, dark place when that happened, Pepper," he said sadly. "I'd been wrongly imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit and-"

Pepper made an impatient sound. "There are no cameras on you now, Hammer," she said tersely. "We all know you did exactly what you were imprisoned for and you've scammed your way out of prison on false pretences. So, don't stand there playing the victim card to me. Your alliance with Ivan Vanko got a lot of innocent people killed and injured and from what I can see, you have absolutely no remorse about that."

"I was Vanko's victim as much as anyone else," Justin protested.

Pepper's lips tightened. "Why are you here, Justin?" she asked impatiently. "Why would you care if I thought you were innocent or not?"

Justin took a step towards her and looked very earnest. "I care a lot, Pepper. I feel like things all went wrong when my friendship with you and Tony broke down and that's where I want to start to make things right again."

Pepper stared at him in disbelief. "What are you saying exactly? That you want us to all take a vacation in Belize together or something? Is that it?"

Justin looked at her hopefully. "Would that be so awful?"

Pepper just stared at him. "You're insane."

"Why, because I want to soak up some sun with old friends and just unwind a bit?" he asked innocently. Justin made a sweeping gesture at the mess of broken buildings and smoke covered cityscape which was on view outside of Pepper's high-rise office view. "It seems to me that Tony could be in need of a little R&R. Today looks like it was a stressful one."

Pepper's eyes narrowed. "And yet, here you are, turning up on my doorstep on a day where New York was almost destroyed by giant bugs as though it was any other day."

Justin looked shocked. "You can't think I had anything to do with this?" he asked in disbelief.

"You don't seem very fazed by it," said Pepper dourly.

He gave a little shrug. "Prison hardens a man to seeing unpleasant things on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean I don't care. Hammer Industries has already thrown itself into the relief effort and is working on getting power out to hospitals and other emergency services while helping with the cleanup effort. The last of those creatures hadn't fallen from the sky before I had my crews in the trenches fighting to help all those poor unfortunates affected by this latest crisis."

"You're a real saint," said Pepper laconically.

Justin didn't seem to hear the sarcasm as he gave her a modest look. "I do what I can with the resources God has given me, like any patriot would."

It was all Pepper could do not to laugh in this man's delusional face. He really seemed to believe the story he was trying to sell her. There wasn't any part of Pepper that believed Justin Hammer had reformed in any way, but she just couldn't quite work out his angle.

A red and gold blur flashed by her office window just then and Justin's face sported a small smirk. "Uh oh, daddy's home."

Pepper wasn't really surprised that Tony was about to show up but it did mildly frustrate her to think he didn't think she could handle herself against Justin. She knew Tony was still a little fragile about what had happened to her at the hands of Justin's goons, and she tried to cut him some slack. The thing was, Tony didn't seem to understand that she'd just had to sit through an agonising wait knowing he was in the direct path of a nuclear explosion and had been forced to find a way to deal rather than simply ordering him back to the safety of the nuclear bunker with her. It was all Pepper had wanted to do, but she knew she couldn't ask that of Tony and that was alright, it was her own personal cross to bear and she did it willingly. It just didn't seem to register with Tony that having faith in the other person you love should cut both ways and that sometimes he just had to let her go at these things alone.

Justin was looking at her with interest. "That bugs you, doesn't it, Pepper? The way Tony always sees you as a damsel in distress needing big strong Iron Man to save her all the time?"

Pepper arched a cool eyebrow. "The idea that you have the first idea about our relationship is laughable, Justin and I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

Justin just smiled. "Those pretty blue eyes tell me all I need to know. I can read you like a book, Pepper Potts."

Pepper's eyes narrowed menacingly. "Can you read what they're telling you now?" she asked sharply.

Justin chuckled. "I don't think I'm that flexible to be able to do that, Pepper, no matter how much I want to prove to you that I'm on your side."

"You underestimate yourself, Justin," she said sweetly, "snakes are very flexible creatures."

The elevator doors slid open and an annoyed looking Tony stalked out, minus his Iron Man suit. He glared at Justin. "What the hell are you doing here, Hammer?"

"Tony," said Justin happily, "it's so good to see you, pal."

"I'm not your pal," Tony bit out, "and you've got some nerve coming here and expecting not to be thrown out on your ass."

Tony came to stand beside Pepper and she could feel the waves of protectiveness rolling off him. She was torn between finding it unbelievably sexy and incredibly annoying. Such was the lot of loving Tony Stark.

Justin looked unruffled. "Fortunately for me, Pepper is a lot more of a gracious hostess then you, Tony." He looked over at Pepper. "We've been having a lovely chat, haven't we, my dear?"

"I mentioned you were delusional, right?" she threw back at him.

Justin laughed too loudly at that. "I can see why Tony adores you the way he does, Pep." He waggled his finger at her teasingly. "That wicked sense of humour of yours."

Tony scowled. "The only one grinning like a loon is you, Hammer, and I can't imagine what you have to be happy about."

"I'm a free man, Tony, a free man looking to make what is left of his life count."

Tony and Pepper exchanged looks. Tony looked sceptical. "And what does that mean?"

"It means I have a proposition for you," said Justin simply.

"No," replied Tony without hesitation.

"You don't know what it is," Justin pointed out mildly.

"And yet I'm still feeling pretty good about that no," Tony shot back.

The elevator opened yet again and this time it contained Steve, Thor and rather surprisingly the Hulk.

Justin's face lit up like a kid on Christmas day. "Oh hey, the gang's all here, how exciting!"

Pepper fought not to roll her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. Tony was bad enough, but in the other men it was like she had another three, overprotective big brothers on standby as well. There were now seven men in her office all there intending to 'protect' her against an idiot who came armed with roses. It was the very definition of overkill. Pepper kept her voice even as she looked them over. "Are you all alright?" she quizzed them. "No one is hurt?"

"We're fine," said Steve quickly and then gave a pointed look at Justin. "Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling a little claustrophobic," she deadpanned, "but I suspect that is just how things are going to be from now on. I might have to get a bigger office."

Justin was looking between the other three men with obvious admiration. "I can't believe I'm standing in the same room as Thor, Captain America and the Hulk – a god, a legend and a marvel," he said, looking very happy about that fact. Justin's gaze lingered on the Hulk. "I've only seen you on TV before and they say the camera adds ten pounds, but can I say, it does not do you justice." He stuck out his hand for the Hulk to shake it. "I'm a huge, huge fan."

The Hulk scowled at him and gave a low growl from somewhere in his massive chest.

"Hulk doesn't like when people touch him," Tony advised him, "or look him in the eye, or even talk to him. He's got pretty defined personal parameters you might want to consider respecting."

Justin took a step back and held up placating hands. "Of course, of course," he said cheerily, "I don't want to crowd you, big guy." He rubbed his hands together. "But I have to say, it feels like fate that you're all here because my proposition involves you all."

"You mean the proposition that I already said no to?" Tony asked darkly.

"But you haven't heard it yet," Justin reminded him, "and I think it's only right that you allow your colleagues to make up their own minds." He gave the others a sideways look. "Unless you're all in agreement that Iron Man is your leader who can't be questioned or challenged in anyway?"

Pepper frowned slightly, knowing the fragility of the group's dynamics and hating that Justin was using it to his own advantage. The others didn't show it, but she knew he'd hit a nerve.

"Tis hard to imagine what the Avengers would need from a coward such as you, Justin Hammer," replied Thor steadily.

"I've done things in my past," said Justin regretfully, "bad things, things I wish I could take back." He looked at them all in turn. "But then, I suspect that I'm not the only one in this room that feels that way." Justin's face became more animated. "See, I understand you guys, I know how you think and feel, and that's why I think you should really listen to what I have to say."

"Say what you've got to say quickly," Steve advised him, "and then we can just get on with the business of kicking you out of here and back into the gutter where you belong."

Justin inclined his head and then regarded them all steadily. "It's simple really. I want to join the Avengers."

There was a shocked silence in the room as everyone just stared at him in disbelief at the confounding statement...

**A/N****: So, Justin Hammer as a member of the Avengers – what do you guys think? Are you for or against? ;) And if it happens, will Tony be forced to come up with extra hammer jokes to share between Thor and JH? LOL **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N****: From reading the reviews, it seems most of you don't think Justin Hammer joining the Avengers is a good idea. Funny that. LOL Let's find out what the rest of the team think, shall we? **

**Chapter Seven**

"I've taken a couple of hits to the head today," said Steve, "but did that guy just say he wanted to join the Avengers?"

Justin smoothed down his coat jacket. "I did indeed, my star spangled friend."

For a brief moment Tony had been lost for words, but he'd recovered now. Tony looked Justin over. "And what exactly would you be bringing to the table, Hammer?" he asked sarcastically. "Hair and makeup?"

Pepper couldn't help but smile at that jab, but Justin seemed unfazed.

"I bring untold resources," said Justin confidently. "My money, my vision, my belief in what the Avengers are fighting for. I have designs in my research and development section that would blow your mind."

"What would blow my mind is if any of them actually worked," said Tony flatly. "You're kidding me with this stuff, right?"

"Why is it so impossible to believe that I want to give back to the world?" Justin protested. "In prison you have a lot of time to assess where you went wrong in life and all I want to do is have a chance to prove that I'm someone who has a lot to give. The Avengers want to change the world and I want to be a part of that."

"We're here to protect the world," Steve corrected him. "Protect it from people like you, Hammer."

"I've made mistakes," said Justin sincerely, "but like I said, we all have. What matters is what you make of those mistakes and what you learn from them. That's the measure of a man."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," said Tony and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm hearing this and not throwing you out that window, that's what I really can't believe."

"The Avengers need help," continued on Justin blithely. "I mean, today couldn't have been called a day of resounding teamwork, now could it? There are a lot of things blocking the Avengers from being a real team."

Tony arched an eyebrow. "And what, you're going to be our own personal enema, Hammer, is that it?" He pursed his lips. "Oddly fitting really, seeing as you've always given me the craps."

"I'm offering to help," said Justin sincerely. "There is a lot more to being a hero then just putting yourself in harm's way. You have to know how to play the game."

Tony's face hardened. "I guess that's where the problem lies," he said darkly, "this isn't a game to us."

Justin gave a short laugh. "Oh, the irony of Tony Stark telling me everything isn't a game." He looked Tony over. "Everything you've ever done in your life was about winning and playing a game and now you're expecting me to believe you don't see the Avengers the same way?"

"You're done," said Tony flatly. "I've got better things then to listen to delusional idiots babble on about things he knows nothing about. That's why we have a senate." He indicated the door. "Leave."

Justin sighed and looked saddened. "So, that's a no then?"

"That's a hell no," said Tony sharply.

He shrugged. "Well, I'm very sorry to hear that. I really hoped we could work together, Tony. It's long been a dream of mine."

"It's long been a dream of mine to see you squashed like a bug," said Tony in annoyance. "We all have to learn to live with disappointment."

Justin shrugged. "Ah well, I tried." He went to move towards Pepper, hands outstretched. "Can we at least part as friends, Pep?"

The Hulk let out a deafening bellow as Justin stepped closer to Pepper, rattling the windows and actually knocking Justin off his feet and over the back of the nearby sofa. Justin immerged from behind it blinking a little blearily as the Hulk glowered menacingly down at him, grunting warningly.

"Oh yeah," said Tony calmly, "and the Hulk's got pretty defined personal parameters when it comes to Pepper as well."

Justin got unsteadily to his feet, and warily backed away from both Pepper and the Hulk. "Okay, well, I feel like I may have overstayed my welcome," said Justin. He smoothed back his hair and straightened his clothes. "I hope you're not going to regret not giving my offer serious consideration."

Steve didn't look impressed. "Is that threat?"

"No," said Justin calmly, "it's an expression of concern." He smiled at them all. "I can find my own way out."

"But you won't," said Lewis steadily. He nodded at Cody and John and they immediately walked over and flanked Justin as he stepped into the elevator.

Justin gave them all a jaunty salute as the doors closed. As soon as he was gone, Tony turned to Lewis and gave him a severe look. "I told you not to let the guy up here."

"And Ms. Potts told me she wanted to speak with him," said Lewis impassively.

"We've discussed this," Tony ground out, ignoring the fact that the Hulk was actually transforming back into Bruce as they were speaking.

"Yes, we have," agreed Lewis evenly. Impressively he didn't bat an eye at the transformation going on over in the corner.

Tony wasn't letting go. "I told you to keep that guy out." He sent a quick look over at Bruce who was bent over and trying to get his bearings after transforming from the Hulk. "Ass crack, B."

Bruce immediately fumbled to pull up his pants which hadn't shrunk down quite as easily as Bruce had and revealed a portion of his no longer green buttocks.

Pepper moved to take Bruce's arm to steady him. "Lewis doesn't take orders from you, Tony," she said firmly, "he takes them from me." She smiled at Bruce. "Are you okay?"

"Did we win?" asked Bruce, shaking his head and still looking a little out of it. He frowned. "Did the other guy hurt anyone?"

"We vanquished the metal creatures," Thor informed him, "and thy brute hurt no one. Take comfort, my friend, all has ended well."

"Except that I got a woman shot," said Steve unhappily.

Pepper looked at him in surprise. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Steve."

"It's becoming my speciality," said Steve, his face darkening, "letting women get hurt."

"If it was anything like the circumstances of what happened with me then you have nothing to feel badly about," she told him firmly.

Steve didn't look convinced by her reassurance.

Bruce looked out the large window at the city below. He blinked a couple of times. "What happened to the Statue of Liberty?" he asked unevenly. "Oh God, please tell me the Hulk didn't do that."

"No, no," said Tony quickly, shooting a warning look at the other men, "that's been like that for ages. I can't believe you haven't noticed before now."

Bruce gave him a sour look. "That was me, wasn't it?"

"Technically it was more the ring-shaped bomb that the other guy took a shine to that caused the issue," said Tony.

"Ring-shaped bomb?" repeated Bruce in confusion.

Pepper gave Bruce a reassuring smile. "Steve, Thor, why don't you debrief Bruce downstairs while I have a quick word with Tony?"

Tony nodded. "That's a good idea and Jarvis, is my suit properly quarantined now?"

"Yes, sir, in a glass containment unit as you instructed."

"Start running proper diagnostics on it," Tony instructed him.

"What happened to your suit?" asked Pepper in concern.

"He got cooties," Steve informed her as he and Thor helped Bruce to the elevator.

"No, I didn't," said Tony in annoyance. He paused and then cocked his head. "Okay, maybe I did."

"What does that mean?" asked Pepper with a frown as the elevator closed on the other men, leaving her, Tony and Lewis.

Tony looked over at Lewis. "Do you have somewhere else you need to be right now?"

Lewis looked over at Pepper and she nodded. "I'll be heading out soon," she informed the other man, "can you make sure we can actually get out of the building, please, Lewis?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said and immediately went to do as she asked.

"I don't like that guy," Tony announced as soon as he was gone. "Won't do what he's told."

"Lewis does exactly what _I_ tell him to," said Pepper, turning to face Tony, "and that's your problem with him."

"That's not it," Tony argued. "I just don't think he's taking your safety seriously enough."

"Like you, you mean?"

"I expressly told him not to let Justin Hammer, a guy who's already made an attempt on your life, into the building and what did he do?" asked Tony in frustration. "Just let him waltz right in, that's what."

"Because I told him it was okay," said Pepper simply.

"It's not okay," said an aggravated Tony. "Hammer is insane, you heard him, he wants to join the Avengers, what the hell was that? I don't want that lunatic anywhere near you, Pepper, end of."

"And I don't want you anywhere near a nuclear bomb," she threw back at him, "life isn't always about getting what you want, Tony. Sometimes it's just about dealing."

Tony gave her a disbelieving look. "You're mad because I saved the city? I totally knew what I was doing with that bomb, Pepper."

"I'm not mad," she said calmly, "and I totally knew what I was doing with Hammer."

"You can't compare the two things," said Tony with a frown. "Justin Hammer is a proven menace."

"While a nuclear bomb is totally harmless, of course," countered Pepper dryly.

Tony pursed his lips and regarded her steadily. "I'm not going to get an apology from you about this, am I?"

Pepper gave him a sweet smile. "Of course you are, Tony." She stepped closer and cupped his face, giving him a loving look. "I'm so very, very sorry you're an idiot, Tony Stark." Tony opened his mouth to complain but Pepper didn't give him a chance. She pressed her lips against his in a kiss which quickly became very passionate. It just felt so good to be in his arms again after the anxieties of that afternoon. Pepper knew there wasn't an easy fix for this particular type of friction between them. Neither one of them wanted to see the other hurt and it'd always make the other one a little crazy when they were in any kind of danger. It was just the way things were.

"No fair," Tony groaned his complaint into their kiss, "you know I can't think straight when you do that."

Pepper smiled knowingly. "You never think straight when it comes to Justin Hammer, so I don't know if my kisses are totally to blame."

Tony tightened his grip on her and gave her a troubled look. "He hurt you, Pepper," he said hoarsely. "I can't ever get past that. Every time I see that guy I just want to pound him into a bloody pulp with my bare hands. I can't stand the thought of him being near you, saying your name, looking at you. It tears me up inside, the thought of him being within a hundred mile radius of you."

Pepper stroked his face. "I know," she said softly, "but we can't let fear rule our lives, Tony. I could drive myself crazy with all the possible 'what ifs' when you put on that Iron Man suit and fly out of here but I just have to trust that you'll come back to me." Pepper leant in so their foreheads were touching and she could look deeply into his eyes. "It's not easy, Tony, and even though it scares the hell out of me, I have faith in you to do what you need to do."

Tony made a complaining groan. "Damn it, I hate it when you play the grown up card. That means I have to pretend to be one too."

Pepper smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You don't have to be anyone other than who you are, Tony."

"Who I am wants us to have another serious talk about that hamster ball," said Tony, only half-joking.

"If I was in a hamster ball, I wouldn't be able to do this," Pepper reasoned, fitting her softness against Tony's hard angles.

Tony's eyelids drooped. "I do like it when you do that," he conceded unevenly.

"What were those things today, Tony?" Pepper asked, her voice low. "And have we seen the last of them?"

Tony rubbed her back and grimaced. "I don't know and I don't know."

"You'll figure it out," said Pepper confidently. "You always do. I'm just glad you're safe now."

"Do you really need to be going out right now?" Tony quizzed her. "The city is a mess and it's not that safe, there has been a lot of structural damage done."

"Hammer Industries isn't the only company who is helping with the clean up," said Pepper indulgently, understanding Tony's concern. "I'm on the board at the New York Presbyterian Hospital and I've volunteered to come in and help manage things until the crisis is over. Stark Enterprises is a big supporter of the hospital and its work and they really need our resources right now."

Tony sighed. "This is so oddly familiar. I make the mess and you spend all your time cleaning it up."

"You and the rest of the Avengers saved New York," said Pepper with a smile. "I'm cutting you some slack this time. Besides, the day you came out as Iron Man I quadrupled our public liability insurance to help cover these kinds of things."

"Smart thinking," said Tony admiringly. "I think fixing our lady of the lamp is going to cost big on its own." He gave her a pleading look. "Just, be careful, please, Pepper."

"You be careful debugging your suit or whatever it is that you have to do with it," she countered.

Tony smiled. "Deal." He caught her up in another passionate kiss which was only finally broken with Lewis announcing the car was ready.

"Did I mention I really don't like that guy," Tony grumbled against Pepper's lips.

Pepper treated him to a quick kiss before stepping out of his arms. "You'll get over it," she said teasingly. "Besides, I like him enough for both of us."

"You're not helping the guy's cause with that kind of talk," said Tony dourly.

Pepper shook her head at his jealousy. "You're an impossible mess," she informed him with feigned resignation.

Tony grinned, watching her leave. "But the good news is I'm your impossible mess, right?"

Pepper stood in the elevator and replied as the doors closed. "It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it," she teased him and then the doors were closed and she was being whisked down to the basement, happy that Tony had come safely home to her once again.

**A/N: There you go, guys, some Pepperony for all of you who were hanging out and there is more to come in the next chapter. :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N****: It's been bugging me for awhile that I haven't given Thor much of a voice in 'Precious' or this story to date, so I wanted this chapter to flesh him out a bit more as a character. It's also been bugging me that I forgot to explain Thor's presence in this realm if I was taking off after the movie which left him in Asgard. See, those are the little things that slip by when you write at the speed I do. LOL Anyways, I've kind of tried to address it here, but really, I should have done it in one of my first chapters of 'Precious', and that will forever annoy me. **

**Ah, we writers, such crosses to bear. LOL **

**Enjoy...**

**Chapter Eight**

Tony padded into the kitchen, bare feet almost noiseless on the tiles. He absently rubbed the bump on his head, pulling a face at the slight pain it caused. "Stupid screwdriver," he muttered to himself. It was late and Pepper was getting ready for bed when she'd requested some water. Tony had dutifully headed off to the kitchen to retrieve the requested item. He didn't bother with the lights, knowing his way round, but when he went to get the bottled water from the refrigerator it was to find the appliance was sporting a huge dent in the front of the door which had almost taken the door off its hinges. Tony gave a heavy sigh as he surveyed the carnage. The door didn't close properly anymore, but it seemed like the fridge was still more or less working as he reached in and retrieved the requested bottles of water. Tony walked out from the kitchen and into the dining room to find Thor sitting at the table, staring at a computer screen. The thunder god was just wearing grey sweat pants and a white t-shirt. "So, I noticed my fridge has been recently remodelled," said Tony calmly. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you, Thor?"

"I was in your food preparation area when a voice behind me spoke," said Thor, glancing over at him. "I dispatched the voice with my hammer."

Tony gave him a thoughtful look. "And what was the voice telling you exactly?"

Thor paused. "The time in a place called Tokyo."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, that would have been the msn homepage I had programmed on the fridge computer being helpful."

"I did not realise it was your electrickery. I thought it was an intruder."

"Here's the thing, thunderbolt and lightening, not many burglars break into places in New York to tell them the time in Tokyo," said Tony dryly. "That's more of a mid-west thing."

"I am sorry about your cold box," said Thor quietly.

Tony shrugged. "That's okay, I was getting bored with how the door always stayed on when you opened it anyway." He came to stand by the other man, curious to see what he was doing. Tony looked at the computer screen and saw the Skype profile of one Doctor Jane Foster. "You have to hit that button that button which says 'Video Call'," Tony instructed him, "otherwise it won't work."

Thor did not look up from staring at the picture of the pretty, young brunette. "I know how to use your magic, Tony Stark," said Thor grimly.

Tony pulled out a chair and took a seat, regarding the man's stoic features as he set down his bottles of water. "Okay, so what's the problem then?"

"I have not contacted Jane since I became trapped in your realm," said Thor tightly.

"I'm still working on that," Tony told him quickly. "I haven't given up. When you came across that last time after taking Loki back to naughty god prison something happened to the bridge between our worlds, but I can fix it." He gave Thor a bright smile. "I can always fix things. Fixing things and having a butt that won't quit are my two go to things in this world."

Thor gave him a confused look. "What is it that your butt will not stop doing?"

Tony grimaced and waved a hand at him. "Let's not get caught up in my butt," he said easily and then paused. "Always good advice now that I come to think about it." Tony nodded at the screen. "What's the problem here, Thor? You obviously like this Jane Foster girl. Why don't you swing over to Switzerland so you can play Tarzan to her Jane?" Tony waggled his eyebrows at him. "If you know what I mean?"

Thor just stared back at him blankly. "I very rarely know what you mean, Tony Stark. Your words are as those of a mad man or a fool to me most of the time."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"How?" asked a mystified Thor.

"I have the rare talent of only hearing what I want to hear," said Tony blithely. He tapped the screen. "So, what's the hold up here, Thor? Call the woman."

Thor stared at the image on the screen unblinkingly. "You were in fear of Pepper's life today, were you not?"

Tony frowned, taken aback by the question. "I was worried about her, yes."

"First with all the destruction going on around us and then when one of your old enemies sought her out," continued on Thor softly.

Tony regarded him steadily. "What's your point, Thor?"

"If you could take it all back, have your time again so that you did not bring Pepper into such a world," queried Thor and then looked directly at him, "would you?"

Tony sat back in his chair and thought about the question. "It was different for us, Thor. Pepper was already in my life, for a long time before any of the Iron Man or Avengers stuff happened." He gave a lopsided smile. "I was already addicted to the woman, so leaving her out of my life really wasn't an option."

"But if things had been different," Thor insisted urgently, "if you could go back to the beginning, would you still chose to have Pepper in your life knowing the constant danger she would be in?"

Tony scratched his beard and took his time in answering. "Here's the thing," he said slowly, "I know the noble, high-minded thing here to say is no, that I would want Pepper far away from the craziness and danger of my life but I'm not going to say that." Tony looked him directly in the eye. "I'd do it all again, in a heartbeat, no questions asked."

"Don't you believe that to be a selfish act, Tony Stark?" asked Thor with a note of censure in his voice.

"Do you know what's selfish?" Tony returned. "It's selfish to be the one who gets to make all the decisions in a relationship and expect the woman to thank you for it." He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. "Oh God, here I go, being a grown up again. This is becoming a disconcerting habit." Tony opened his eyes and looked intently at Thor. "Look, I used to think I knew all there was to know about women but then I fell in love and realised I knew diddly squat and that was on a good day. Relationships are messy and dangerous and as frustrating as hell, but if you're doing it with the right woman, then none of that matters." Tony shrugged. "And I'm kind of working on the assumption that it's the same for women as well, otherwise I don't know why the hell Pepper is with me."

Thor nodded slowly. "You have given me much to ponder, Tony Stark. I shall think on your words of counsel."

Tony stood up. "Okay, but don't think on it for too long. Your Doctor Jane is a hottie, and hotties don't wait around forever for indecisive thunder gods to make up their minds."

Thor frowned and looked confused again. "Jane was of normal temperature when we last met." He gave Tony a concerned look. "Do you believe her to have a fever now? Is she unwell?" Thor asked unevenly, looking undone by the thought. "Should I bring her to the care of a physician?"

Tony picked up his drinks and still managed to jab a finger at Thor. "Those are the semi-hysterical overreactions of a man who is already in too deep," he told the other man with great authority. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. You can pretend to sit here and think you have a choice about contacting Jane, but I'm telling you now, you don't. That's just the way love works. If there was any kind of choice in love, Pepper would be waiting for me upstairs in a fully self-contained hamster ball, completely safe and out of harm's way."

Thor arched a blonde eyebrow. "You're starting to sound like a mad man again."

Tony was unconcerned. "Pepper would understand if she was here." He gave Thor an encouraging smile. "You'll work it out." Tony nodded approvingly at Thor's casual attire. "And good job with breaking that cape habit of yours by the way. At least you're not going to get that outfit caught in my elevator doors every five minutes. Capes may look cool on a super hero, but on a practical, day to day level, they're just not feasible."

"Capes are normal attire in Asgard," Thor protested.

"Well, you're not in Kansas anymore Toto," Tony advised him, "so you need to get with the program."

With that last bit of no doubt confusing advice delivered, Tony left Thor to ponder what to do next when it came to the pretty, young doctor. A short elevator ride had Tony stepping off onto the level he and Pepper shared in the Avenger's Tower. Pepper was just climbing into bed as he walked into the bedroom. "Pepper, do me a favour and don't sneak up on Thor, ever." Tony handed her one of the bottled waters. "And whatever you do, don't tell him the time in Tokyo."

Pepper stifled a yawn as she accepted the offered bottle. "I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable reason for both of those requests but I'm too tired to ask."

Tony came to sit down on Pepper's side of the bed. He rested a familiar hand on her thigh, rubbing his hand back and forth over the toned flesh lovingly. "You know, I was thinking today, about how if things hadn't gone according to plan today with that bomb."

Pepper frowned. "Tony, don't. I don't want to even think about it."

"I know," said Tony, "but neither one of us can deny that I've got a dangerous hobby and one day, things may not work out so well for me."

Pepper bit her bottom lip. "I know."

Tony looked at his tanned hand moving against Pepper's pale flesh, resisting the urge to replace his hand with his lips while he got this thought out. "So, I was thinking, that if the worst did happen, I'd want you to be happy, Pepper."

Pepper gave him an indulgent smile and covered his hand with her own. "I know, Tony," she said huskily, "you'd want me to find love again and not shut off my heart to another man."

Tony gave her a horrified look. "What? No! There are to be no other men after me, Pepper, and that's final!"

Pepper sat up in bed and rolled her eyes. "You know, Tony, the noble thing to say was that you wanted me to find love again after you were gone, so I could be happy."

"Why is everyone expecting me to be noble all of a sudden?" asked Tony in dismay. "Where is that coming from?"

Pepper raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't you want me to be happy?"

Tony took her hands and gave her an earnest look. "Pepper, sweetheart, I've ruined you for other men, we both know that. You'll never love any other man now that you've loved me."

"You're a one off, I'll give you that," said Pepper wryly.

"Who?" asked Tony abruptly.

"Who what?" asked Pepper in confusion.

"Who are you moving on with before my body isn't even cold in the ground yet?" asked Tony in outrage.

"Tony, you're not dead," Pepper pointed out patiently.

"But clearly you've got candidates lined up," said Tony indignantly. "So, who are they?" He jabbed a jealous finger at her. "And your list had better not include Captain Frostbite, do you hear me? The thought of you two together would be the death of me."

Pepper folded her arms in front of herself and gave him an amused look. "Aren't you already dead in this little scenario of yours?"

"That would kill me again," said Tony melodramatically.

"What exactly have you got against Steve?" she asked in vague frustration.

"Well, for one thing, he's dating my woman," said Tony loudly. "That's a big old black mark against his name for starters."

"You've gone insane," Pepper announced. "Steve and I aren't dating, you're not dead and there is no list. You're the only man in my life, Tony, and quite frankly, you're a full time job and then some."

"And don't you forget it," Tony warned her.

Pepper gave an inelegant snort. "Chance would be a fine thing."

Tony walked around to the other side of the bed, still trying to reign in his feelings from where their conversation had taken them. Pepper occupied his whole world, she was in every cell of his body, every pore and nerve ending and the thought of any other woman trying to fill that hole if she left was an inconceivable one to Tony. He hadn't expected Pepper to so easily accept the thought of him being gone, even though she didn't seem to be taking him seriously. Tony didn't know what to make of this at all. "Find someone else," Tony grumbled as he settled into bed beside her, "what the hell, woman?"

Pepper rolled over in bed so she was on her side and facing him. She put a hand on his chest, to the right of the arc reactor and gave him a tolerant look. "Looks like you've got a boo boo," she said mischievously as she took in his disgruntled features. "Would you like me to kiss it better?" Pepper didn't wait for permission. She started to kiss feather light kisses down Tony's neck and onto his chest.

His heart immediately leapt into overdrive, the thrall of this woman exciting every nerve ending in Tony's body as Pepper nipped and kissed her way along his chest. "No," said Tony with mock petulance, "don't touch me, all women repulse me right now."

Pepper giggled, clearly not taking him seriously as she straddled him in one swift move, wiggling a little on top of him. A mischievous smile played around her lips. "You don't _feel_ repulsed," she teased him.

Tony was forced to swallow a little groan as Pepper's lithe body had its usual effect on him. He attempted to keep his composure as he tried to continue with his outrage. "It seems that most of my revulsion has pooled somewhere south of the border," he managed unsteadily.

Pepper gave him a knowing look. "So it seems," she purred.

"I thought you were tired," Tony rasped, already completely lost in her, but trying to hold out for as long as he could.

Pepper's smile widened. "Apparently I find the ramblings of a mad man to be quite a turn on," she noted in amusement.

This was very good news to Tony. "Thank God," he said with heartfelt gratitude as he rolled them over, trapping Pepper's lusciousness beneath him now. Tony fixed her with a sultry look. "Because there is plenty more where that came from, baby," he growled playfully, forgetting all of his concerns when he had Pepper in his arms like this.

"That I never doubted," giggled Pepper before they lost themselves in each other completely for a good portion of the night.

**A/N****: I like this chapter simply because it showcases quite a few sides to Tony Stark. He can be a straight shooter, a jealous fool, a lover and a whack job in a short amount of time. LOL **

**Who wouldn't find that level of dysfunction intoxicating? ;) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Justin Hammer strolled into his New York City penthouse apartment and flicked on some lights. He walked over to the large window which was the back drop of the living room and looked down at the cityscape below, noticing how only half of New York was lit up. The other half was still in darkness thanks to the exploits of the mighty Avengers. Justin's lips curved upwards in an involuntary smile at that thought. He'd been putting himself around all day, making sure his earnest face appeared on as many news feeds as he could find, declaring Hammer Industry's support of the cleanup work. Hell, he'd even gotten on the end of a shovel and moved some rubble himself for the photo op it presented. Today had gone well, better than he could have expected really and the icing on the cake was his meeting with Tony and the rest of the Avengers. Justin's smile widened as he turned around and wandered back into the lounge room, intent on fixing himself a well-deserved drink. Suddenly there was movement behind him, someone stepping out from behind a curtain and then there was the feeling of a large kitchen knife being held to his throat from behind. Justin froze as sour breath hissed in his ear.

"I need help, and you're going to give it to me." The man sounded desperate, on edge.

"But of course," said Justin calmly. "But how about we put down the knife and talk like gentlemen about this, hmm?"

Justin felt the hesitation in the other man but then the knife was being lowered from his throat. He stepped unhurriedly away from the man and turned around, regarding him with an unflustered smile. "So, what's your poison?" He indicated the nearby bar.

The albino man's shoulders sagged and he looked exhausted. "Scotch," he muttered, "on the rocks."

Justin moved over towards the bar. "I'm more of a strawberry daiquiri type myself," he confessed blithely. "What can I say, I've got a sweet tooth, so shoot me." Justin held up a playfully warning finger. "That was just an expression, so don't get any ideas now." He poured the requested drink for the other man and quickly mixed himself that strawberry daiquiri and then walked over with both drinks in hand. "Take a seat," Justin prompted him, "you look like you've had a hard day."

The man sat down on the sofa and reached out a shaky hand for the drink. He sat back and took a noisy gulp of the alcohol.

Justin gave him a sympathetic look. "You look like you really needed that."

"Everything has gone to hell," he rasped. "All of our plans, they've failed."

Justin gave him a surprised look as he settled into an armchair directly across from the other man and crossed his legs. "What makes you say that?"

"The plan was to take New York and kill the Avengers," he said shakily. "And my Manti-droids failed to do that."

Justin smiled. "You know, I remember when we first met all those years ago. I kept hearing about this whizz kid called Noble Maniatis and his crazy bug-themed toys." He gave him a curious look. "Tell me, why convert your nano-technology into insects of all things, Nobbie, can I call you Nobbie?" Justin took in Maniatis' unimpressed expression. "Okay, no, we'll just stick with Doctor Maniatis, keep this thing on a purely professional level, eh?"

"There are over nine hundred thousand different types of insects in this world," said Maniatis emphatically, "they out number humans two hundred million to one. They are a marvel, doing feats men could only dream of and-"

Justin waved a hand at him, interrupting Noble's excited diatribe. "Yes, yes, I get it, insects rock." He smiled at Maniatis over the top of his drink. "And I must confess, the sight of those giant praying mantises marching down Time Square like that," said Justin admiringly, "they were a thing of beauty."

"But the Avengers stopped them," Maniatis fretted.

"So?"

"So, that wasn't the plan," said Maniatis in agitation.

"It may not have been your plan, but I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out," said Justin easily.

Maniatis' pale featured made an anxious face. "Captain America chased me, he saw my face." He gave Justin an urgent look. "You have to hide me, they'll be coming for me."

"Do you know what your problem is, my pigment challenged friend?" Justin didn't give him a chance to reply. "You worry too much."

"Captain America knows who I am," said Maniatis in distress, "or at least he soon will." He scowled. "I kind of stand out in a crowd, freaks are funny that way." Maniatis took another swig of his drink.

"Now, now," Justin tutted, "I won't have you talking so negatively about yourself, Noble. The colour of a man's skin, or lack thereof in your case, is no indication of the kind of man he is and you, my friend, are a genius."

The younger man gave him a grateful look. "You know, I don't know if I've ever told you how much I appreciate the way you believed in my work and helped me refine it, Mr. Hammer."

Justin smiled at his gratitude. "Think nothing of it. I'm all about recognising young talent and encouraging it where I can."

Noble looked crestfallen. "And now I've failed your trust in me." He squeezed his eyes close. "And I threatened your life. I don't know why I pulled a knife on you, Mr. Hammer. I guess I'm just really afraid."

Justin stood up and came to sit by the depressed looking man. He patted his leg encouragingly. "You haven't failed me, Noble, like I told you, I'm happy with the way things have turned out."

Maniatis gave him an uncertain look. "Does-does this mean we're not partners anymore?" He gave a little cough as his voice became choked.

Justin pursed his lips. "Well, the thing is Noble, we were never really partners to start off with," he said casually. "You see, I tried a partnership with a brilliant man once, and well," he gave a dry laugh, "let's just say that didn't turn out as I hoped. So, now, I'm more of a lone wolf in these kinds of things."

Maniatis frowned. "But, I gave you all of my technology, you said we were partners in this, equal all the way." He coughed again, breathing sounding a little laboured now.

"I see our relationship more as a teacher/student kind of thing," said Justin blithely. He took the empty glass of scotch from Nobel's suddenly shaking hand, ignoring the way the man was starting to froth at the mouth now, his whole body stiffening. Justin watched indifferently as Maniatis' eyes went wide, silently screaming at him for help while the rest of his body seemed to be shutting down. Justin looked down at the glass in his hand. "I have your nano-technology now and seeing as Captain America can identify you, you've become a wee bit of a liability to me," said Justin conversationally. "I really can't afford the Avengers finding out about our link and I don't know if I can trust you to keep your mouth shut if they do catch up with you." He pulled a face. "So, you can see my conundrum, Nobbie."

Maniatis was twitching now, his breath rasping out in ragged and increasingly infrequent breaths.

Justin gave him a sideways look, knowing he was looking at the last few seconds of the other man's life. "School is out, Nobbie, time to graduate." He held up the empty scotch glass in his hand. "My offer to shoot me might have been an expression, but you choosing your own poison, well, that really wasn't." Justin gave a heavy sigh as Maniatis' betrayed gaze started to glaze over. "I'm sorry it had to come to this but a lone wolf's gotta do what a lone wolf's gotta do."

Noble Maniatis gave one last wheeze and then he was gone, the last light flickering out of his eyes. Justin picked up his strawberry daiquiri and took a sip, smiling away to himself as everything came together very nicely for him. He settled back in the sofa next to the corpse of his former protégée and couldn't help but imagine how delicious it was going to be as his plan played out.

The world and the Avengers didn't know what was going to hit them...

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve quickly smoothed down his hair with one nervous hand and gripped the simple bouquet of wild flowers in his other hand as he stepped up to the nurse's desk, avoiding the jostle of all the people scurrying around him. He cleared his throat and smiled at the harassed looking African American woman behind the desk. "Hi," he said, "I was hoping you could help me. I'm looking for someone."

"Visiting hours are long over," she informed him distractedly as she handed out a file to a fast moving doctor and answered the phone. "Ward nine, please hold." She held the phone to her chest and nodded at Steve that he should go.

"Look, I know it's past visiting hours," said Steve quickly, "and I know things are crazy right now-"

"Honey, that is the understatement of the century," she returned grimly. "We've been working on generator power up until half an hour ago, half our computer system still isn't working and I'm having to find room for my patients in broom closets." She indicated the heaving hallways littered with people on gurneys and chairs, some even sitting on the floor. "It's a madhouse in here after what happened today."

"I know," said Steve sincerely, having spent that day and night with the clean up as well, "and I know you're doing everything you can for as many people as you can, but it's really important that I find someone. Please, she was hurt today and I just need to know she's going to be alright. This was the hospital she was brought to by the ambulance."

There must have been something in Steve's face which made the woman relent. "What's her name, honey?"

Steve gave her a grateful look. "O'Brien."

"First name?"

He faltered. "Ah..." Damn it, why didn't he find out her first name? He gave the other woman a weak smile. "Miss?" he offered up meekly.

She arched an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, blue eyes, but you're going to have to do better than that."

"She's blonde," Steve offered up in an attempt to help. "About five feet four, maybe a hundred pounds, slim-"

"She sounds quite the catch," the nurse interrupted him, "but I need a first name."

Steve's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I guess that's that then." He looked at the bouquet in his hand and then offered it to the older woman. "Thanks for your help."

She took the flowers and gave a little smile. "Don't worry, sugar, if it's meant to be, you'll find your Miss O'Brien."

Steve grimaced, wishing he'd been able to find her just to say sorry one more time. "Do you think?"

"I met my husband when I hit him with my car," she said easily. "Twenty years later, we're still together."

"You hit your husband to be with a car by accident?" asked Steve in disbelief.

She shrugged. "He thinks it was an accident, meanwhile all I know is that a good looking brother wearing a Gucci suit is hard to come by. You have to have some little tricks up your sleeve to snag yourself one of them." She gave him a cheeky wink. "Can I trust you to keep my secret, honey?"

Steve couldn't help but laugh. "To be honest, I'm a little afraid not to."

She gave a satisfied smile. "That's what I like to hear."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve walked back into the kitchen at the Avenger's Tower later on that night to find Bruce sitting at the breakfast bar on a stool with a huge array of food in front of him. Steve arched an eyebrow at him. "A midnight snack, I see?"

Bruce looked up from the huge tub of ice cream in front of him which he was eating directly from, several packets of cookies already open around him and half a chicken. "I get hungry after my transformations. The other guy uses up a lot of calories."

Steve looked at the crushed fridge. "I'm going to take a wild guess – Thor?"

"He and that hammer of his seem to be a bit on edge," noted Bruce as Steve took a seat across from him and reached for a cookie. Bruce smacked his hand away and gave him a warning look. "When you transform into a mindless rage monster, you get a cookie, until then, try the fruit."

Steve rolled his eyes but pulled an apple out of the nearby fruit bowl anyway and took a bite out of it.

"You're late in," Bruce noted around a leg of chicken which he'd just used to spoon out a big clump of ice cream. "Did you and Miss O'Brien have a nice chat? Are you feeling less guilty now?"

Steve screwed up his face as he watched Bruce stick the chicken/ice cream combination in his mouth. "I couldn't find her, so no, I don't feel any less guilty." Bruce gave him a questioning look and Steve sighed, feeling like an idiot. "I don't know her first name," he admitted. "The hospital couldn't even start to help me."

Bruce nodded. "I see," he said around a mouthful of cookies now. "Well, look at it this way, she was doing fine when you left her, there is no reason to believe she isn't doing fine now."

"Mph," Steve grunted, "it shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"You need to do what I do when it comes to the other guy," advised Bruce, "let it go."

Steve stared at him in disbelief. "You obsess continually over what the Hulk gets up to. You're like a broken record about it."

"Alright," said Bruce affably, "then you need to not do what I do."

"Your advice seems kind of variable," Steve noted dryly.

"Yeah, well, I'm eating," said Bruce as he shoved more cookies into his mouth, "what do you want from me?"

"You can't eat and think at the same time?"

"Can, just don't want to," Bruce grunted.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Have we had any luck tracking down that albino guy?"

"Fury says he's working on it."

"And what about the metal pieces?"

"Tony can't get them out of his suit."

"Bet that rattled his cage."

"He had a hissy fit and threw a screwdriver. It bounced off the wall and hit him in the forehead."

Steve's lips quirked. "That would have been fun to see."

"I laughed so hard I peed a little," Bruce confirmed casually.

"Sorry I missed it." Steve frowned and cocked his head. "Did you hear that?"

Bruce stopped chewing and listened. "Hear what?"

Steve strained his hearing but couldn't hear anything. "Nothing, thought I heard something rattle."

"It was probably the fridge," reasoned Bruce. "I don't think it's long for this world."

Steve shrugged. "I guess." He eyed the nearest box of cookies. "I'm having a cookie."

Bruce's eyes narrowed at the challenge. "You should have tried for the element of surprise, now you're screwed."

The two men faced off over an Oreo cookie.

**oooOOOOooo**

The vase of white roses sat in Pepper's office, which was just above the kitchen. The water droplets still clinging to the petals suddenly moved. Each tiny speck trickled from the shapely petals and dribbled down the side of the vase, pooling together in a large liquid drop on the glass table top. The amorphous blob oozed itself from the table and along the carpeted floor. The mass then hit the wall, seeking out the air conditioning vent. It slipped inside where the puddle broke off into pieces again. The pieces became silver balls and then the balls morphed into tiny centipedes. The multi-legged creatures dispersed in the air-conditioning ducts, scurrying off to go about their business and undetected by the building's security system...


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N****: Sigh, so this was one of those harder to write chapters for some reason. It just didn't quite gel for me and I'm hoping the next chapter will feel less like hard work. For those of you who are Steve Roger's fans, he's going to have quite a bit going on in this fic, so I hope you'll all enjoy that. But that doesn't mean I'm going to forget about Pepperony – I know why many of you are reading this fic in the first place. ;) It's just going to be fun and games all round. :D **

**Okay, off to tackle the next chapter, wish me luck. :) **

**Chapter Ten**

Tony sat at his work bench, deeply engrossed in his experiments on the metal pieces he and Natasha had retrieved from the Carousel. They were not behaving like any kind of metal Tony had ever dealt with before and it didn't make it any easier that he could let the little pieces anywhere near any other metal, for fear he'd lose them.

Jarvis' cool voice interrupted him. "Sir, the news is on."

"I told you I want the evening news," Tony said distractedly.

"It is the evening news, sir."

Tony looked up in surprise and glanced at his watch. "So, you're telling me it's eight at night then?"

"Yes, sir."

Tony lost all sense of time when he became engrossed in his projects. "Okay, throw it up."

Jarvis immediately activated a large floating screen in front of Tony and the anchorman was reporting on the events of the previous day.

"-and the cleanup of New York City continues after the attack aimed at it just twenty-four hours ago. The invasion force of metal praying mantises caused havoc and destruction wherever they swarmed but were eventually defeated by the newly formed Avengers. However, not everyone is seeing this team of superheros as being exactly what New York and indeed the world needs. Senator Kidston has come out and expressed his concern over the events of yesterday and how the Avengers handled the whole thing."

The screen flashed up with a grey-haired man in a suit looking very indignant. "I know people are saying the Avengers saved the city, but is anyone asking why the city needed saving in the first place?" he blustered. "These kinds of threats simply didn't exist before these self-proclaimed superheroes turned up on the scene." The camera zoomed in on Senator Kidston's face. "And now that they're here, where are the regulations of these people going to come from? I mean, they destroyed a national monument and plunged half of New York City into darkness. A case can be made that they created almost as much destruction as those metal bugs. I want to know to whom these vigilantes are going to be accountable? They're not associated with any government agency and as far as I can tell, aren't answerable to anyone. Is this something we really should be seeing as a good thing-"

"You know what's a good thing, Senator?" asked Tony irritably. "How about the fact that New York is still standing and not being overrun with bugs right about now?"

"You do know he can't hear you, right?"

The indulgent question came from behind him and Tony turned around to see Pepper standing in the doorway of his lab. "Yes," Tony grumbled. Small-minded people were always going to annoy him, people who couldn't see beyond their own agendas. He paused and looked her over, taking in the close-fitted, ankle length and off the shoulder white dress she was wearing. Pepper's hair was swept up in an elegant up do and she was wearing the diamond earrings he'd surprised her with a month ago. She was gorgeous and not for the first time Tony took a moment to appreciate how lucky he was. "You look amazing," he said admiringly.

Pepper smiled. "Thank you."

He arched an eyebrow. "A little much for our beer and pizza night though, don't you think?"

"It's the charity gala tonight," Pepper reminded him patiently. "Remember, we had a date?"

Tony blinked, realising she was right. "Oh yeah, the gala thing." He looked down at the series of experiments he'd just set up on the remnants of the mantises.

"You've been working on that metal all day, Tony," Pepper informed him. "You need a break. Come upstairs, get changed and then we'll go to the gala. We won't stay long and at least you'll get some fresh air and eat something."

"I've eaten something today," he protested and then tried to think what that was. "Probably."

"Happy brought you lunch but that was hours ago," Pepper prompted his memory.

Tony looked back at his experiments. "Just give me half an hour, I need to run this experiment I've just finished setting up."

Pepper gave him a considered look. "Alright, half an hour. Jarvis, you remind him."

"Very good, Ms. Potts."

Tony smiled at her. "I'll be there, promise. See you soon."

Pepper nodded. "Alright."

As soon as Pepper was gone Tony was back to being absorbed in the simulations he was running on the metal. He'd barely started when Jarvis interrupted him.

"Sir, it's been half an hour. You need to get ready for the gala."

"Another minute," muttered Tony distractedly as he watched the electricity being absorbed by the metal with great interest.

"But, sir-"

"Mute," Tony ordered without looking up from his work. He just had to check a few more things and then he'd get ready. This metal was a complete marvel to him and Tony had the feeling he was only scratching the surface of what it was capable of. He suspected that he was dealing with nanobot technology but the level that had been achieved with this work far exceeded what mainstream science had so far achieved. The fact that the metal had some kind of synthetic memory and wanted to recombine back into the mantis creatures were only the tip of the iceberg as far as Tony could see.

Suddenly light hands were on his shoulders. "How's it going?"

Tony nodded happily. "I'm getting there. This stuff is amazing, Pep." He put a hand up to cover the one on his shoulder. "I'm almost done, I'll be ready in a minute."

Pepper withdrew her hands and walked around the other side of the lab bench so she was standing in front of him. She started to take off her high-heeled shoes. "Don't worry about it."

"So, we're a little late," said Tony dismissively. "I'm Tony Stark, I'd freak everyone out if I was on time."

Pepper just smiled. "The event ended an hour and a half ago."

Tony stared at her blankly. "What?"

Pepper held his gaze steadily. "The charity gala, it ended an hour and a half ago."

"Oh." Tony hesitated. "Are you mad?"

"No," said Pepper mildly, "I'm not mad." She gave him a warm look. "It's late, you should really get some rest, Tony. Come to bed."

He gave her an uncertain look. "Our bed?"

Pepper laughed lightly. "I told you, I'm not mad. This is just who you are." She moved to head back out the door when Tony stalled her.

"I'm sorry you missed the gala, Pepper," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean to get so caught up."

Pepper looked back over her shoulder at him. "I know, and I didn't miss the gala."

"Oh," said Tony in surprise, "you went. In that case I'm sorry you had to go alone."

"I didn't," she replied just before stepping onto the elevator. Pepper turned around and smiled at him before as the doors slid shut. "Steve was kind enough to come with me. I told you, I wasn't going to go alone."

Pepper was gone before Tony could formulate a reply. He scratched at his beard. "Well, wasn't that helpful of Frostie?" he said in annoyance.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve watched Pepper check her watch once more. "Jarvis?" she called out.

"He's put me on mute, Ms. Potts," Jarvis replied to her unanswered question.

Pepper sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" She wrinkled her nose. "I hate going to these things alone."

Steve didn't know what possessed him. "I'll take you," he blurted out and then hesitated. "If you want," he backtracked a little.

Pepper looked surprised but happy. "Oh, Steve, that would be great."

"I don't have anything to wear," Steve suddenly realised.

Pepper smiled. "This is New York, Steve, finding a tuxedo on short notice is never going to be a problem."

In less than an hour Steve was holding out his hand to help Pepper out of the Rolls Royce as a mass of media flanked a red carpet leading up to the entrance of gala event. Lewis and his team had already arrived and made sure the location was secure and were now keeping a discrete distance from them. Steve glanced over his shoulder at the flashing cameras and people shouting out to them and barely managed to hide a grimace. This wasn't his most favourite kind of outing, but he'd hated to see Pepper disappointed and didn't mind stepping up on this occasion.

Happy walked up and closed the car door, smiling at them both. "Have fun eating and drinking with gay abandon while I sit outside in this cold car."

Pepper made a clucking sound. "Please, Happy, as though we don't know you're going to head straight to the kitchen and get to eat and drink as much as you like while playing poker with all of your buddies."

"Oh, you know about that, do you?" he asked sheepishly.

"You always come back smelling of cigar smoke and belching caviar puffs," said Pepper indulgently.

Happy gave a sigh. "I do love those caviar puffs," he agreed readily. Happy grinned. "Have fun, I'm off to make some money." He rubbed his hands together gleefully and looked past them. "I can see Roy, Donald Trump's driver, is here. He's completely crap at poker, tonight's going to be a good night for old Happy."

Pepper gave a light laugh. "Play nice with the other children, Happy."

"Count on it."

Steve watched Happy jump in the car and take off, leaving them to face the gauntlet of media alone.

Pepper took his arm and smiled up at him. "This is the worst part," she reassured him. "The media feeding frenzy is always a pain."

"I used to do the PR stuff," Steve informed her as he looked around, "but it was nothing like this."

"It's a visual age nowadays," Pepper said as they started to walk the red carpet, "people are always eager to see what others are up to and now there is the means to do just that." She smiled and nodded at all the cameras flashing off in their faces.

Steve fixed a smile on his face for the cameras as well. "I don't know if that's a good thing."

"I didn't say it was a good thing, I just said that was how it was," said Pepper casually. "It's just a part of modern living that has to be negotiated, especially if you end up high profile."

They were halfway up the red carpet when a woman in a very low cut dress and tanned breasts on almost full displayed stepped out in front of them. She smiled at them both. "Hi Pepper, can we have a few words with you?"

Pepper gave her an unflustered smile. "Of course, Jodi, it's always a pleasure to talk to Entertainment Now."

Jodi quickly indicated for the camera crew behind her to step up and they started filming right away. She flashed a big smile for the camera and did a quick introduction. "And here we have Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries gracing the red carpet." She turned back round to Pepper. "Were you surprised that New York was able to rally and still hold this charity gala when the city was almost destroyed yesterday?"

"Not in the least," said Pepper smoothly. "New York and the American people have shown themselves to be nothing but resilient in the past and this is no exception. This gala is raising money and awareness for underprivileged children and their education, not only in America, but around the world. It's a cause very dear to our hearts at Stark Industries and we're thrilled to support it in any way we can."

"I have to ask, Pepper, that dress, it's simply gorgeous, who are you wearing tonight?"

Pepper looked down at her elegant dress and smiled. "It's Valentino."

"A favourite of yours in the past."

"I think he really knows how to dress a woman," Pepper agreed.

The reporter fixed her attention on Steve now, much to his chagrin. She beamed an almost blinding smile at him with her too white teeth. "And I see your sporting a new accessory tonight?" Jodi looked back at Pepper. "Tony not available?"

Pepper didn't miss a beat. "Tony wanted to attend, but unfortunately it wasn't possible."

Jodi gave Steve an interested look. "Looks like you didn't have any trouble finding a replacement," she noted.

Steve wasn't really comfortable with the way the other woman was looking at him with a vaguely predatory glint in her eyes.

Jodi gave him another overbright smile. "This must be very different from what you're used to, Steve. Is it alright that I call you Steve, or do you prefer Captain America?"

He moved a little and forced another smile to his face. "Steve is fine."

"And am I right in understanding that you're actually living with Pepper and Tony these days?" Jodi asked curiously.

"We all reside at the Avenger's Tower," said Steve stiffly, "but that doesn't mean we live together."

"The tower is huge," Pepper backed him up. "We all have our own floors and plenty of space to enjoy."

Jodi gave her a knowing look. "So, three really isn't a crowd in this instance?"

"Not in the least," said Pepper simply.

"You're a lucky girl, being surrounded by all of these gorgeous men." Jodi looked envious as she said that.

Pepper wasn't rising to the bait. "I'm lucky as we all are that we have a group of people like the Avengers willing to risk their lives to protect us."

Steve didn't like what the other woman was trying to insinuate. He took Pepper's arm. "We'd better go in," he advised her. "It's looking like rain."

"So attentive," tutted Jodi, "you mustn't be missing Tony at all, Pepper?"

Pepper just smiled. "Thank you for supporting the gala, Jodi," she said, not answering her question. "This cause is appreciative of all the coverage it can get." With that, she and Steve resumed walking.

Steve pulled a face as they walked away. "She was a piece of work."

Pepper was more philosophical. "Jodi was looking for an angle to sell her story. It's her job."

Steve grunted. "It's not much of a job."

"Each to their own, I guess."

Steve gave her a sideways look as they walked into the lavishly decorated ballroom filled with dignitaries and celebrities alike all laughing and talking noisily while an orchestra played in the background. "You handled all her questions really well," he said admiringly.

Pepper gave a little laugh. "I'm used to it. I was Tony's assistant for a long time and you have to learn how to handle the media."

"You were very gracious." He pulled a face. "She didn't deserve it. The woman was making you out to sound like-". Steve hesitated. He didn't even like putting it into words.

"Like a woman who is currently living with five other men and sees them as interchangeable?" she filled in cheekily.

"Yes," said Steve unhappily. Pepper might be able to laugh about it, but she was the classiest, most elegant woman he'd ever met and it really annoyed him that anyone should imply otherwise.

Pepper gave a little shrug. "Well, I may live with five other men in a manner of speaking, but I in no way see them as interchangeable. You're all incredibly unique and very special to me in your own ways. I could never see any of you as anything other than one offs who deserve to be treated as such."

It actually made Steve feel good to hear Pepper say she thought he was special but then felt vaguely anxious about feeling that way.

Pepper was looking around the room. "So, would you like something to eat or should we dance first?"

"No!" said Steve abruptly and realised he'd been a little too loud in his answer. He tried not to blush. "I don't know how to dance."

Pepper didn't comment on his overreaction and just smiled instead. "Caviar puffs it is then," she said easily, "assuming any have made it past Happy of course."

Steve relaxed as Pepper put him at ease with her light teasing and had a brief thought he might actually enjoy tonight and then couldn't help but worry if that was a good thing...

**A/N****: Interested to hear your thoughts about this development, guys, if you're so inclined. ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N****: Okay, so I may have worried a few Pepperony fans with the last chapter, but I hope with this chapter you'll see where I'm going with this. ;) **

**Thanks everyone for your great reviews and to everyone who has favourited and put an alert on this story. It's all very, very appreciated. :D **

**I've got a lot of subplots going in this story, so bear with me as I work to establish them all and then ultimately draw them all together, won't you?**

**Thanks, guys, and hope you enjoy...**

**Chapter Eleven**

Steve leaned against the balcony railing and looked out over New York's nightscape. A great deal of it still wasn't lit up and he grimaced internally, knowing the Avengers role in that. They really hadn't figured out how to work as a proper team and Steve wasn't sure they ever would.

"So, this is where you escaped to?"

The teasing question had Steve turning around and giving Pepper a guilty look. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind. You were really engrossed in your conversation."

Pepper came to stand beside him and looked out over the city as well. "Stark Industries is looking to do business with the man I was talking with." She turned her head and smiled at him. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Steve, getting caught up in business talk and abandoning you." She tilted her head and regarded him steadily. "I can't imagine you feel very comfortable in a place like this."

He gave a bit of a shrug. "I don't feel comfortable anywhere in this world, so it doesn't really matter."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly.

Steve frowned. "I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me, Pepper."

She arched an eyebrow. "How about compassion, what are your feelings on that?"

He moved uncomfortably. "You should save your compassion for the people who deserve it," he said grimly.

Pepper regarded him steadily. "You feel guilty about being alive, don't you?"

Steve looked at her in surprise. "No," he said quickly. Pepper kept looking at him. "There's no point, things are how they are."

"Very sensible," Pepper noted, "but human emotions aren't always sensible, Steve. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge how you feel and let yourself go there."

"Feeling things isn't going to change my situation," he said grimly.

"No," she said huskily, "but maybe they'll change you."

Steve frowned. "Meaning?"

"Meaning ever since you were woken up in this time you've felt guilty about surviving when everyone you knew didn't." Pepper shook her head at him. "That's no way to live, Steve. You have to find a way to get past that otherwise you're going to drive yourself crazy with taking the blame for every little thing that happens, like what happened to me and that woman yesterday."

"But those were my fault," said Steve in frustration.

"How is Justin Hammer being insane your fault?" Pepper argued with him. "And how is that teacher wanting to help you something to feel badly about?"

"I have to protect people," said Steve urgently, "it's my job."

"Is it your job or your penance?" Pepper challenged him. "You have to save everyone in this world because you couldn't save anyone from your world, is that how it goes?"

"No," Steve scowled, "that's crazy."

"But it's how you feel," she pushed him gently. "Isn't it?"

Steve abruptly walked away from her and looked up into the evening sky, trying to rein in his feelings. He'd worked so hard not to think about any of these kinds of things since waking up and now Pepper wasn't letting him pretend those feelings weren't there. He heard Pepper come up behind him.

"No one will ever really know what you're going through, Steve," she said quietly, "but that doesn't mean that we don't care. It's totally understandable that you feel the way you do, but answer me this." Pepper walked around so she was facing him. "Do you think that any of those people you left behind would begrudge the fact that you're alive and well in 2012? Do you think any of them wish you were dead like them?"

Steve's shoulders sagged as he thought of all the important people in his life. "No," he admitted at last.

"And if things were different and it was Bucky or Peggy or anyone else you cared about standing here, would you want anything less for them to have a full and happy life?"

"Of course not."

Pepper smiled and put her hand on his arm. "Then why not consider being as kind to yourself as you would be to them. You're alive, Steve, and it's a miracle but you don't have to keep on trying to make up for the fact that fate saved you and not someone else."

Steve looked at Pepper in confusion. "Why are you saying all these things to me?"

Pepper gave him a soft smile. "Because you're my friend and because I think a part of you is still trapped in that ice. You have so much to give the world, not just as Captain America but as Steve Rogers, and I don't want to see you bury that so no one can ever reach you out of a misplaced sense of guilt."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"That's exactly what you're doing, Steven Rogers."

Steve couldn't help but smile. "You sound like my mom." He wrinkled his nose. "You don't look like my mom, but you sound like her."

"If I do then she sounds like an infinitely sensible woman to me."

Steve sighed. "Okay, suppose you're right and I'm not saying you are, but suppose you are. How do I stop feeling this way?"

"By opening yourself up to new things and letting new people in," said Pepper firmly.

Steve made a wry face. "That's easy to say but harder to do."

"You don't strike me as someone who would give up on something just because it was hard," Pepper commented.

"Damn," said Steve with feigned annoyance, "you're good at this."

"I've got my superhero pep talks down pat," she told him teasingly.

"I guess you get a lot of practice with Tony."

"We have our moments." Pepper looked around and smiled. "Our almost first kiss was on a balcony like this at a charity event."

"Almost kiss?"

"We both kind of chickened out," said Pepper with a little laugh. "And then Tony went to get me a drink and never came back."

Steve rolled his eyes. "The guy is such a flake."

"Sometimes."

He shook his head. "I still don't know what you see in him."

"That's because you're too alike."

Steve gave her an outraged look. "We're nothing alike!"

"Oh please," Pepper snorted, "you two are peas in a pod. You're both driven, passionate men but go about showing it in two different ways. Tony pretends to not take anything seriously while you take everything seriously."

"Which makes us opposites," Steve pointed out.

"No, it makes you both driven." Pepper gave him a pointed look. "Both of you have been fighting against the limited expectations of the world around you all your lives. You were the skinny kid who no one thought had much to offer and Tony was the reckless, overindulged errant genius who couldn't be relied on for anything and only looked after himself first. You've both been fighting against the moulds those around you want to put you in and you're both as stubborn as hell." Her lips twitched at seeing Steve's expression. "You want to argue with me but don't want to come across as stubborn, don't you?"

"Are you sure you don't have a super power of being able to read minds?" Steve grumbled.

Pepper laughed. "I just know how to read complicated men, years of practice after all."

He shook his head in amazement. "Tony doesn't deserve you. You're too good for him, Pepper. I mean, the guy abandoned you to go and play with bits of metal in the lab. He's an idiot."

"I could have made Tony come with me," said Pepper philosophically, "but his mind would have been somewhere else. He's always been like that when he has a problem to solve, all of his focus goes into that. I may as well have slapped a tuxedo on a bag of potatoes for all I would have gotten out of him tonight if I had dragged him along."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"I'm not going to lie, it gets frustrating sometimes," said Pepper readily, "but then I knew what I was getting myself into. I can hardly agree to a relationship and then expect him to change who he is. Before I said yes to us being together I weighed up all the aspects of Tony I knew and asked myself if I could live with them. My answer was ultimately yes. Even if there are parts of him that drive me insane, I still wouldn't change anything about him, because that's who I fell in love with." Pepper smiled. "Besides, I'm no day at the beach all the time. Tony has to put up with things about me."

"Yeah," said Steve dryly, "it must a be a real cross to bear for Tony to put up with you being beautiful, funny, smart, patient and understanding. I really feel for the guy."

Pepper laughed. "I think you're being overly kind, Steve. I can get my crazy on too. I'm not always reasonable and understanding."

That wasn't what Steve had seen so far. "You're those things more than he deserves."

Pepper leaned across and kissed his cheek. "You're good for a girl's ego, Mr. Rogers."

Steve smiled at her easy affection. "Weirdly enough, even though you compared me to Tony, you're not bad for mine either, Ms. Potts." Even though Pepper had stirred up a lot of feelings in him with their little conversation, Steve actually felt better for having talked about them and getting things out in the open. "You always seem to know the right thing to say, Pepper."

"That's what friends are for."

Steve looked at the beautiful woman standing in front of him and smiling at him sweetly. It would be so easy to fall in love with this accomplished, kind and compassionate woman but Steve knew he'd never let himself go there and either would Pepper. They just weren't those kinds of people. He'd been floundering ever since being woken up in this new millennium and for awhile now Pepper had felt like the only solid thing in this world and it would have been easy to lean too heavily on that and for things to get confusing. But in that very special way Pepper had about her, she'd just opened his eyes to the possibilities of this new world and made a lot more things seem attainable. "I'm glad we're friends, Pepper, and thank you for tonight. I think I really needed it."

"You're welcome, Steve," she said sincerely. Pepper took his arm. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll show you how to dance."

"I thought you liked the ability to walk," Steve deadpanned as they headed back in.

"You can't be that bad," she tutted.

"Yes I can," Steve countered as he tried to warn her, "I really, really can."

**oooOOOOooo**

Bruce looked up from where he was working through the data Tony had collected from the salvaged metal pieces so far to see Steve and Pepper laughing as they stepped out of the elevator together. "Good night?" he quizzed them.

Pepper smiled. "It was, very much so."

"Until I pounded your feet into the ground," Steve reminded her. He made a regretful expression. "I told you I couldn't dance."

"My feet will live to dance another day," she reassured him. "You just need some more practice, that's all. Trust me, Steve, I'll have you turned into a regular Fred Astaire with a few more lessons."

Steve rolled his eyes. "I think you might be dreaming there, Pepper."

Pepper gave a little laugh. "You just need practice, is all." She looked at Bruce. "Is Tony still in the lab?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "What do you think?"

"Right," said Pepper, "I'd better go and see him." She smiled at Steve. "Thank you for being a charming escort tonight, Steve, I really appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure, Pepper," said Steve readily.

"Well, goodnight," she said to both of them, "I'll see you in the morning."

Both of them murmured their goodnights back and then Bruce was watching as Steve pulled at his bow tie and flopped down on the sofa. "So, you two seemed to have a nice date," he noted.

"It wasn't a date," said Steve quickly.

"Are you sure?"

Steve scowled at him. "Of course I'm sure. Pepper is with Tony. Pepper and I are just friends."

"And that's how you want to keep it?"

"What's with the third degree?" asked Steve in annoyance. "I told you, Pepper and I are friends and that's it."

Bruce gave him a considered look. "I just wanted to make sure things weren't going to get more complicated than they already are around here."

"I don't have any designs on Pepper."

"I doubt Tony is going to buy that after tonight," Bruce pointed out.

"That's his problem, not mine," Steve countered.

Bruce grimaced. "Why do I feel like that could turn out to be everyone's problem?" he asked dryly and had to wonder how Tony was taking the news of what happened tonight. Bruce wasn't a betting man, but if he was, he was going to bet that it wasn't going to be well.

**A/N****: So there you go, guys. :D I do see Pepperony's relationship as special and not open to them straying... although that doesn't mean they can't get jealous, reasonably or not. ;) To me Steve and Pepper work as good friends with a kind of 'road not travelled' kind of thing which I suppose potentially all the Avengers have between each other if you have a fondness for slash fics as well. LOL Of course, even thought Steve and Pepper are cool with one another, you just know Tony's going to make a big deal out of it. But, as many of you have observed, maybe that will make him a little more attentive down the line. ;) **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N****: Well, it seems from your comments that most people approve of where Steve and Pepper have landed with their relationship, so that's a bit relief for me. :D **

**Once again, I'm not really happy with this chapter. I'm back at work and still battling this dang cold. Work is really crazy at the moment and requires a large part of my brain, so I'm struggling to find the creative side of my brain to keep up with the chapters. I've managed to get the chapter done, so that's at least something and once again, hopefully I'll have a bit more brain space for the next chapter. I'm working all of the weekend, so there won't be much of a breather there either. No rest for the wicked as they say. ;) **

**Okay, enough of trying to put you off, why don't you read and see what you make of it? :) **

**Chapter Twelve**

Pepper was already in bed when Tony walked into the bedroom. He'd been working out what he wanted to say to her and hadn't immediately followed her back to their suite after she'd told him about Steve taking her to the charity gala. Tony climbed onto the bed and stretched out beside her. Pepper was lying on her stomach, head turned towards him on the pillow and her steady breathing told Tony that she was most likely asleep. He watched her for a few minutes, hoping his presence would register but when it didn't, Tony reached out with a finger and scratched her nose lightly. Pepper twitched but didn't wake up so Tony repeated his action. This time Pepper gave a little snort and slapped at her face in an uncoordinated way, but still didn't wake up. Tony's lips thinned in impatience. Just what exactly had gotten her so damn tired anyway? The jealous thought made an unwelcome guest in Tony's brain. He flicked Pepper's nose, this time a little harder and she started awake, sitting up and looking disorientated. Tony fixed a bright smile on his face. "Oh good, you're still awake."

Pepper rubbed her nose and blinked at him blearily. "Did you just flick my nose?"

"Why would I do that?" he asked innocently.

"Mm," said Pepper, not convinced and wiggled her nose one last time before lying back down. "Are you done for the night in the lab or is this just a pit stop?" She pulled the covers up and rolled on her side, not looking that interested in his answer.

"I'm coming to bed," Tony answered her. He gave her a narrowed eyed look which Pepper missed because she'd already closed her eyes. "Is that a problem?"

"Why would it be a problem?" she asked tiredly, obviously trying to fall back to sleep right away.

"I don't know," said Tony coolly, "maybe you were expecting someone else in your bed tonight."

Pepper opened her eyes and looked up at him. She took a moment to take in his expression and then gave a heavy sigh. "I was hoping to have the sane version of you in my bed tonight, but I'm beginning to think I'm stuck with Blinky, his crazed, evil twin."

Tony's eyebrows shot up into his hair line. "Blinky?"

"It's my name for this guy." Pepper waved a finger at him.

"And who is this guy exactly?" Tony grilled her.

"The irrational, crazy guy who makes mountains out of a molehill."

Tony sucked in an outraged breath. "When have I ever done that?"

Pepper sat up in bed and rested her back against the headboard and fixed him with a steady look. "Last week you thought a raccoon stole the Rolex watch you'd left in the Rolls Royce."

"Happy left the windows down when it was parked on the street," said Tony indignantly.

"And is New York famous for having gangs of raccoons roaming around stealing Rolexes?" Pepper asked in amusement.

"You don't need gangs, you just need one." Tony made a clawing motion in the air. "They've got sneaky little fingers." Pepper just stared at him. "That absolutely could have happened," he protested. "It's well known that raccoons like to know the time."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "And then you had poor Happy out hunting down this imaginary sticky-fingered raccoon for two days."

"He was the one who left the window down and I wanted my watch back."

Pepper's question was a patient one. "But what had really happened to the watch?"

Tony pouted. "I don't remember."

"Tony."

"Fine, I'd used it to prop open a vent in my lab and forgot about it."

"You also forgot to tell Happy you found it and he was savaged by one of the park squirrels while still looking for a watch that wasn't lost anymore."

"I sent him looking for raccoons, not a park squirrel," said Tony defensively, still feeling a bit bad about that, not that he'd admit it. "Everyone knows you don't mess with a park squirrel, they're all on crack."

"My point is you jumped to ridiculous conclusions and overreacted."

"This isn't like that," Tony argued.

Pepper gave him a calm look. "Alright, what is this then?"

"It's nothing really," said Tony casually. "I was just wondering how long you and Steve have been dating for and if I was in anyway unclear when I said that you and him together would kill me?"

Pepper blew out a long-suffering breath. "Gee, Blinky, I'm going to have to think about that for a bit. What was the first question again?"

Tony wasn't about to be teased out of his vexation. His brow furrowed. "You went out on a date with Rip Van Winkle!"

"You can't honestly think there is something going on between me and Steve," she said in exasperation.

"Of course I don't," said Tony determinedly, "but I'm less convinced that there isn't something going on between Steve and you."

Pepper looked at him blankly. "And the difference being?"

"The difference with you and Steve is that I know you're not thinking anything of your impromptu little outing, but when it comes to Steve and you, he's thinking something else entirely."

Pepper folded her arms in front of herself and arched a challenging eyebrow. "And what is Steve thinking exactly?"

"How quickly he can find the zip in that dress of yours and get you naked."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Tony, we went to a million functions together when I was your assistant. What are you saying, that the whole time you were picturing me naked and doing unspeakable things to you?"

"How can you ask that of me?" he asked in disbelief. "Of course I was!"

"Tony!" She blinked, the information sinking in. "What, the whole time?"

"Sure," said Tony blithely. "You were this gorgeous, buttoned up, unattainable creature, of course I was going to go there."

Pepper looked uncertain. "I don't know how to feel about that."

Tony snorted. "As though you weren't thinking that about me the whole time too, Pepper Potts."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" she asked wryly. "I remember doing a lot of worrying about getting you to turn up places on time and trying to think up cover stories when you didn't." Pepper gave him an amused look. "I don't remember a whole lot of time to mentally undress you at functions, Tony." A teasing light flickered through her expressive blue eyes. "Besides, I usually didn't have to imagine you naked as you seemed to manage that more often than not at a lot of those functions."

"I'm a free spirit," said Tony unapologetically. "You knew that when we got together."

"I did," agreed Pepper readily. "And I'm a loyal, trustworthy woman who has stood by your side through thick and thin and you knew that before we got together. I'm not sure where all this jealousy is coming from. I've never given you reason to be jealous."

"You've just come back from a date with another man," said Tony in disbelief.

"You blew me off and left me high and dry, Tony," she reminded him. "What was I meant to do, stop my life because you became involved in one of your projects? Do you want me to sit at your feet and look up at you with silent adoration while you figure out the next scientific marvel?"

Tony took her hands and squeezed them, looking deeply into her eyes. "Is that too much to ask?"

Pepper shook his hands off and treated him to a mock glare.

"Alright," he backtracked, "clearly you feel it is too much to ask."

"You're you, Tony, and I'm fine with that," said Pepper. "But my world can't stop when you're being you. I have a life and if that life includes going to a charity event with a friend after you've stood me up, then I think you should be okay with that."

Tony stared at her. "I'm not."

"Yes," she said dryly, "I'm kind of getting that." Pepper's look was frustrated. "I just don't understand why you're so jealous when I'm the one who has a real reason to have issues. Women send you naked pictures of themselves along with sexually explicit emails, throw their underwear at you in public places and always want you to sign body parts." Her lips thinned. "How do you think that makes me feel, Tony?"

"I can't control what other people do," he protested.

"I know that and that's why I just ignore it and I don't know why you can't do the same."

"Because I don't care about those people," said Tony emphatically. "Meanwhile, you actually like Captain Snowflake."

"You say that like it's a crime. So, I like Steve Rogers, what's the big deal? I like Happy too, and Bruce and Thor and-"

"Here's the difference," said Tony interrupting her determinedly, "that guy has been buried in ice for seventy years. In ice, Pepper. With that kind of coldness there has to be some kind of inversion going on with his man bits." He gave her a harrassed look. "For the last seventy years his testicles have been lodged somewhere at the back of his throat and now suddenly he's defrosted and hey, bits are thawing out and wanting to come out to play!" Tony gave her a triumphant nod as he stated his perfectly logical case. It was obvious to him that Steve was interested in being more than friends with Pepper. After all, what man wouldn't? The fact that Pepper seemed blithely unaware of her own allure was part of her charm, but it was also something that could lead to a lot of misunderstandings if she wasn't careful.

"Oh my God," she said unevenly, "you've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"More than I ever wanted to when it came to thinking about another man's testicles."

"Going to a charity event together and a little kiss-"

Tony sucked in a horrified breath. "You kissed!" He instantly wanted to find Steve and punch his lights out.

"A peck on the cheek," Pepper protested. "It was nothing."

"The man is from the 1940's," said Tony in agitation, "that's like third base for him."

"Steve is too good of a man to ever try anything with me," Pepper said with great certainty. "And it wouldn't matter if he did because I happen to be in love with you." She gave a lopsided smile. "For reasons that escape me in this moment mind you, but I'm sure they'll come back to me in the morning."

"I can't deal with you and other men, Pepper," said Tony unsteadily. He knew he was being crazy, but he just couldn't help it.

Pepper leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Tony, there is no me and other men. There's just you and me." She gave a soft smile. "I think there was always just you and me, even before we met."

Tony relaxed muscles he didn't even know he was tensing at Pepper's touch and heartfelt words. "I do love you, even if I'm not always the most reliable boyfriend in the world, it doesn't change how I feel about you."

Pepper stroked his hair lovingly. "I know that, Tony and I love you too." She smiled. "Feel better?"

"I just don't think you realise the impact you have on men." He grimaced. "If only you were more homey, I know I'd sleep better at nights."

"I guess there is a compliment in there," she said ruefully.

"I'm sorry I stood you up for our date tonight," he said sincerely. "It'll never happen again."

She gave a little laugh. "Yes, it will."

He grimaced. "Okay, yes, it will."

Pepper tightened her arms around his neck and smiled. "I guess I'm just going to have to take you when I can get you, Tony Stark."

"Well, you've got me, Pepper Potts," he said huskily, "body and soul."

Her smile widened. "In that case, I'd better take you," she said cheekily and moved in to kiss him.

Tony lost himself in Pepper's passionate kisses and let his concerns melt away with the warm comfort of her body but knew he was never going to not be a jealous fool around this woman.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N****: Sorry I couldn't update yesterday, guys, just couldn't quite find enough minutes in the day. I managed to cobble something together today though. It's a bit of silliness but hope you'll enjoy anyways. ;) **

**Chapter Thirteen**

"How much longer are you going to be?" grunted Happy, widening his stance so he could balance better.

Tony was sitting on Happy's shoulders, arms stretched above him as he worked on a bit of circuitry he'd exposed in the ceiling. "You can't rush greatness."

"How about annoying?" Happy grumbled. "Can I rush that?"

"You know, for a guy named Happy, you can be really cranky sometimes," observed Tony blithely. He pulled free a couple of wires and examined them closely.

"And you're heavier than you look," shot back Happy as he was forced to hold onto Tony's legs more tightly as the other man leant forward to grab out more wires. "Life is full of contradictions."

Tony checked the latest batch of wires and frowned. "Why are you arcing?" he muttered, knowing full well they weren't going to tell him. They seemed perfectly fine to him and Tony couldn't work out why he was getting occasional heat sensor alarms in the ceiling of his lab.

"You know, you could just stand on a ladder and do this," Happy pointed out.

"I didn't have a ladder in the lab," said Tony, distracted. "You were here." He looked down between his legs to Happy's slightly red face. "Although, if I'd known you were going to complain this much, I'd have thought twice about it."

"Can you think twice about it now?" Happy suggested. "Because I want to watch the news."

"Jarvis, turn on the TV," Tony instructed his AI unit before clenching a screwdriver in his mouth and reaching for another bundle of wires.

"That isn't what I meant," said Happy in annoyance, but he twisted his head to watch the screen floating in the air anyways.

A woman's face was on the screen as she beamed into the camera. "And finally in entertainment news the New York Education For All Charity Gala was held last night and has been touted as a huge success by the organisers. One and a half million dollars has been raised for this worthy cause by the elite of New York's business world and celebrity. The who's who of society attended the event but a notable absence to the event was a big supporter of the gala in the past, Tony Stark. The CEO of his company and current girlfriend, Pepper Potts attended in his place." The woman continued on in a cheeky tone. "However, her arm wasn't bare when it came to man candy."

Tony stopped what he was doing and turned to face the screen as well, his lips thinning in annoyance.

"Pepper was escorted to the gala by none other than Captain America's gorgeous alter ego, Steve Rogers, who, after all that time in ice, might just be looking for someone to help him thaw out just a little bit. Rumour has it that Ms Potts has offered her services for that particular task."

A photo flashed up on the screen of Pepper leaning in towards Steve as they stood on a balcony and it looked like they were about to kiss or had just kissed. The picture was obviously taken from a great distance away and was a little grainy. Pepper had already told Tony about the kiss and how innocent it was, but that didn't stop his jaw from hardening.

The woman was back on screen, looking amused. "It looks like Pepper Potts may be considering trading in her ultra-modern boyfriend for a vintage model. All I can say is, I wouldn't mind trading places with her for a day and-"

"Off," said Tony sharply.

"Don't let it bother you," Happy prompted him. "They're just trying to make up something to talk about."

"I'm not bothered," said Tony tersely, "why would you think that?"

"Your crotch has gone all tense." Happy blew out a resigned breath. "I'm so sad that I know about the state of your crotch."

"You can't honestly believe I think Pepper could prefer Captain Vanilla to me?" asked Tony in disbelief.

"Vanilla is the most popular flavour in the world," Happy pointed out.

Tony was shocked. "That can't be right." He paused. "Can it?"

"I'm just saying a lot of people like vanilla, boss. I wouldn't discount it as a worthwhile flavour."

"Alright, if the Capsicle is vanilla, what flavour am I?" Tony demanded to know.

Happy didn't miss a beat. "Hand grenade."

Tony just stared down at him. "I don't enjoy our little talks anymore."

"I'd enjoy them more if I wasn't wearing your thighs as ear muffs."

"It's the must-have look this winter." Tony frowned, worried about what he was hearing. "I just can't believe that Pepper could see anything in Captain Blah."

"If you can't believe it, why don't you let it go?"

Tony didn't have an answer for him.

Happy sighed. "Have you talked to Pepper about this?"

"Yes, she said I'm being insane and irrational," said Tony unhappily. "And then she called me Blinky."

"Oh yeah, Blinky," said Happy knowingly, "so it wasn't pretty then?"

Tony looked down at him in surprise. "You know about Blinky?"

"Of course I know about Blinky. He's the guy who sent me out to hunt down an imaginary raccoon and I ended up being savaged by a demented squirrel."

"Hey, that could have been what happened to my watch," Tony protested. "Raccoons have got-"

"Sneaky fingers, yeah, I remember," said Happy flatly. "But my point is that you got crazy over a situation that didn't warrant it and I ended up being the only fingering victim, sneaky or otherwise!" There was a long pause after Happy's emphatic statement while both men pondered how that sentence had ended up.

At last Tony spoke. "I'm just going to go ahead and pretend I didn't hear that last line of yours. Are you cool with that?"

"Icy cool," said Happy without hesitation.

Bruce chose that moment to walk through the sliding doors of the lab and he came to a halt as he took in Tony sitting on top of Happy's shoulders. "You know, Tony," he commented casually, "you're a rich guy. If you want a pony, why not just buy one instead of riding Happy around all the time?"

Tony wasn't in the mood for being teased. "Happy, put me down."

"Gladly," said Happy, crouching down so Tony could jump off his back.

Bruce looked up at the open ceiling panel. "Found out what's causing the sensor alarms?"

Tony scratched his cheek with the screwdriver which was still in his hand and looked up at the ceiling as well. "No, not yet. It seems completely random and whatever is happening isn't leaving any kind of evidence about what went on. I'll figure it out." He turned his attention back on Bruce. "Do you think I'm unreliable?" Tony abruptly demanded to know.

"Yes."

Tony scowled. "You can take some time to think about it."

"Don't need to," said Bruce blithely.

"Do you think Pepper sees me as unreliable?" Tony fretted.

Bruce's reply was instantaneous once again. "Yes."

Tony was outraged. "You can't know that!"

Bruce leant against Tony's work bench. "Last night, just before she left with Steve to the gala, you know, the one you stood her up for, she said that was what she got for loving an unreliable man." He folded his arms. "So, yeah, I'm feeling pretty comfortable in my call on that one."

"Pepper said that?" asked Tony in distress. "She actually called me unreliable?"

"I had to clean it up a little bit," said Bruce straight-faced, "but that was the gist of it."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Tony spluttered.

Bruce tilted his head and regarded Tony closely. "How is this coming as a surprise to you, Tony?"

Tony was dumbfounded at this revelation. "I know I don't always turn up on time to things, or sometimes at all, and I don't always do what I'm say I'm going to do when I said I was going to do it, but that doesn't make me unreliable."

Happy grimaced. "Actually, boss, that's pretty much the definition of being unreliable."

Tony wasn't going down without a fight. "But I always do that stuff, which, when you think about it, makes my unreliability very reliable, so it doesn't count."

Bruce blinked and looked a little lost for words.

"You heard it here first, folks," said Happy in amusement, "Tony Stark unveils his own personal super power and it's self-justification."

Tony jabbed a finger at them both. "That makes total sense, you know it does."

"Being reliably unreliable is like being famously infamous," Bruce reasoned. "It's not a good thing."

Tony was crushed to think Pepper didn't feel like she could rely on him, but he was finding it hard to build a case against the label. He frowned, not knowing how he could possibly fix something that he wasn't aware he was doing ninety percent of the time. Tony felt the need to change the subject. "Where are Heckle and Jeckle?"

"They're watching their stories," Bruce informed him.

Tony rolled his eyes, happy to have something else to momentarily dwell on. "I can't believe they've gotten sucked into a stupid soap opera."

"It's a telenovela," Bruce corrected him. "So, that would be an _estúpido_ soap opera."

Tony didn't care. "What's it called again, 'The Bursting Bosom'?"

"_El Corazón Palpitante_, The Pounding Heart," Happy joined in. "They started watching some TV to try and acclimate into this world and time zone and I guess they kinda got hooked."

"Neither of them can even speak Spanish," Tony pointed out.

Bruce shrugged. "That's why God invented subtitles."

Tony shook his head. "It's ridiculous."

Happy was more open-minded. "Those kinds of things can be strangely addictive, boss."

"I wouldn't know about that, I don't have an addictive personality," Tony countered, absolutely straight-faced.

Bruce and Happy looked at each other. Happy shook his head. "I don't have the strength, you go."

Bruce gave a little laugh. "Is there any point?"

Jarvis interrupted before Tony could launch his best betrayed outrage patter. "Sir, Colonel Rhodes is on the line for you."

"Put him through," Tony said quickly. "Hey, Rhodey, am I unreliable?"

There was a brief pause before Rhodey's voice filled the air. "Is this a trick question?"

"Come on, pal, you know me," Tony wheedled, "aren't I your go to guy?"

"If I want to be stranded in a Hong Kong jail without my passport," said Rhodey flatly, "then yeah, you're my go to guy, Tony."

"Are you not over that yet?" asked Tony in exasperation. "I came right back for you when I remembered my private jet had taken off without you after that party."

"A week later," said Rhodey dourly.

"So, you had a little extended vacation time, what's the big deal?"

"I'm going to stop this conversation before I get mad," Rhodey informed him.

Tony threw up his hands. "Why is everyone being so unreasonable today?"

"Can I talk to you about what I rang about in the first place?"

"I don't know," said Tony petulantly, "are you sure I'm not too unreliable?"

Rhodey wasn't about to feel guilty apparently. "There are some risks that just have to be taken. You said I had to bring the War Machine suit in for some updates this week. I was just checking when we can get that done?"

"Tomorrow," said Tony, not completely mollified, "but don't bring it here."

"Why not?"

"I'm working on something with some rogue nanotechnology and I don't want War Machine anywhere near it, just in case, okay?"

"Sure," said Rhodey easily. "Where do you want me to meet you?"

"Malibu," said Tony decisively. "I can run the updates from there and check everything out."

"What time?"

"Ten."

"I'll see you at three."

"I'll be there at ten," said Tony in annoyance.

Rhodey laughed. "Sure you will, Tony, I believe you."

The other man hung up and left a miffed Tony in his wake. He glared at Happy and Bruce. "I _am_ reliable."

"Just agree with him," Happy advised Bruce, "otherwise we're both going to grow old and die in this conversation."

"You're fired," Tony announced.

"Oh no," said Happy with feigned disappointment, "I'll never know the heady thrill of being a ladder again."

"Shut up," Tony growled, and deciding right there and then to do something about this unreliability business.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N****: Few, finally got an update done. Sorry it took a couple of days, guys. :D Work has really been kicking my butt lately. I'm doing a lot of job interviewing for a couple of positions in the lab, so it's very time and brain consuming. . **

**Anyways, got this chapter done and I hope you'll like it. At first I wasn't enjoying writing this chapter, but then things kind of fell into place and I ended up not minding it. This story is all about keeping multiple balls up in the air and finding enough time to catch them all before you guys lose interest and then throw them up again. LOL If it all works out that will be great, if not, I'm going to be stuck with a lot of balls... not as much fun as it sounds. ;) **

**Okay, let's get stuck into it and see what you make of it all, eh? :D **

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Any questions?"

Natasha looked up at Director Fury's curt question and then went back to studying the information on her panel. "This is definitely the man we're looking for?" The picture of the albino black man stared back at her with his very pale blue eyes.

"From the description Captain America gave us, this is our most likely candidate," Fury confirmed. "Noble Maniatis had graduated college by the time he was fifteen with several degrees under his belt, all of them in sciences that would have given him the groundwork to start inventing something like those praying mantis creatures. He became obsessed with nanotechnology. He was brilliant, but the companies who employed him found him unreliable and erratic and he was fired from every job he ever had."

Clint shifted in his chair next to her. "His last job was with Hammer Industries," he noted. Clint looked up at the older man. "Did you hear that Justin Hammer wanted in on the Avenger's initiative?"

"The man's a madman," said Natasha flatly. "He's clearly delusional."

"Yes, I heard," said Fury evenly, "and before you ask, no, I'm not a big believer in coincidences. Our information tells us that Hammer Industries fired Maniatis over a year ago, but I'd like a little digging to be done and see if that is true or not."

"I'm on it," said Natasha confidently. This was what she knew how to do, it was what she was trained for.

"You can't go in undercover," Fury cautioned her. "You're too high profile now for that kind of work, both of you are. Your faces have been on every TV screen in the world after Loki's attacks. There are very few people who wouldn't recognise you nowadays, Romanoff. You have to go in head on with this one."

Natasha didn't bat an eyelid. "That won't be a problem, sir."

"I've got a meeting with the rest of the Avengers in an hour to bring them up to speed," said Fury. "I want as much information as you can on this possible connection by tomorrow morning."

Clint gave a slight nod. "Sir."

Natasha followed suit. "Sir."

"Don't disappoint me, Agents, we need to get on top of this situation as fast as we can," said Fury gruffly. "I don't like us being in the dark this way." With that, Fury turned on his heel and marched off.

Natasha immediately stood up from where she was sitting at the conference table and hurried to the changing rooms on the floor below, not bothering with goodbyes to Clint. She had a job to do and she was going to do it. Natasha emerged minutes later dressed in street clothes and ready to take a shuttle, head to the city below and seek out the New York headquarters of Hammer Industries. She frowned as Clint walked out of the changing rooms buttoning up his white shirt. "What are you doing?"

Clint stopped in mid-button and looked down at his hands. "Mastering the ancient Japanese art of origami." He finished doing up the buttons and walked up to her. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Natasha's jaw hardened. "You're not coming with me."

"I don't need your permission," he pointed out mildly.

Natasha squared off against him. "What is this?"

Clint arched an eyebrow. "This, Agent Romanoff, this is a conversation."

"Why are you suddenly so concerned with my welfare?" she bit out. "First at the Carousel and now wanting to trail after me on this assignment. What are you doing, Barton?" Natasha wasn't used to having people express concern about her. It was unnerving and she didn't like to be unnerved. The Black Widow did what she did and did it so well because she'd found a way to shut down the emotional side of her. People coming in and wanting to mess with the equilibrium she'd established made Natasha very unhappy. She didn't want Clint's concern because then there would be an expectation of an emotional response from her, and Natasha wasn't going to comprise her usefulness as an agent for that.

Clint gave her a considered look. "Firstly, I don't think it's too out there to ask a colleague if they're okay when they've got a nuclear explosive in their face and a six hundred pound green giant on their back." Natasha opened her mouth to tell him it had been more than that but Clint didn't give her a chance, continuing on. "And, secondly, Romanoff, Director Fury gave us both the job of finding out about any possible contention between Hammer and Maniatis. So, I'm coming with you."

"There is never going to be anything between us," she said abruptly. "If that is where you think this overly emotional, in your face stuff, is going to lead."

"I'm proposing we do the job we were ordered to do by our superior, not marriage," said Clint dryly. "And I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but we've already got something between us, history."

Natasha didn't want to hear that.

"And it's the one thing all the other Avenger's don't have." Clint shrugged. "We may not have super powers or suits of iron, but we have that."

"And what good is history meant to do us?" asked Natasha tightly.

"I have an arrow in my quiver that makes people vomit," said Clint conversationally.

Natasha looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"It releases a nerve gas which initiates a vomit reflex. I have no idea when that is going to come in handy, but it just makes me feel better knowing I've got it in my box of tricks. You never know when you might need something." Clint fixed her with a calm look. "The same goes for our history."

Natasha wasn't completely convinced this was all about the job. Sometimes she'd catch Clint looking at her when he thought she wasn't looking and it made her uneasy. Clint knew too much about her background for her liking and the last thing Natasha wanted was emotional ties to someone with that kind of power over her, no matter how blue his eyes were. "I work alone," she said coldly.

"Correction," he advised her, "you _used_ to work alone, now you've got a partner."

Clint's words struck terror into her heart even though she made sure not to show it. "I don't want a partner."

"You're the super spy, famous for being able to adapt to any situation at a moment's notice," said Clint blithely as he walked by her, shrugging on his jacket. "So adapt."

Natasha stared after him in frustration, not liking this turn of events one bit.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony walked towards Pepper's office in the Avenger's Tower, his ears pricking up as he heard her give a little peal of laughter. He quickened his step, eager to see what was making her sound so happy. Lewis and Cody were standing outside the door to her office and both men gave a slight inclination of their head in acknowledgement of his presence. Tony stuck his head through the door without knocking and smiled to see who it was. He stepped through the doorway. "Agent Coulson," he said happily, "to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Phil Coulson turned a little stiffly in the chair he was sitting in and smiled his familiar lopsided smile up at Tony. "I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop in to say hi."

Tony walked up and shook Agent Coulson's hand, remembering the sense of overwhelming relief he'd experienced when Nick Fury had finally revealed that the other man's wound hadn't been mortal as they'd been told. Tony had a grudging respect for Fury for finding the one thing which could unify a group of reluctant individuals into a team, even if it was short term. Agent Coulson's wide-eyed belief in the Avenger's initiative and his willingness to die for it had galvanised them into a formidable force which ultimately had triumphed against Loki's invasion plans. It was only after the war had well and truly been won that Director Fury let everyone know that the agent hadn't been killed but instead was in a very serious but stable condition in hospital. Tony had never thought of himself as a sentimental man but he'd have been lying if he'd said he didn't get just a little misty eyed at that news. Over the years Agent Coulson's calm presence had become a welcome one in their lives and he was happy that the other man was still around.

"Phil was just telling me about a funny story in one of his rehabilitation sessions," Pepper told Tony, still smiling.

"So we're still on the Phil thing, huh?" asked Tony, feigning mild disapproval.

"It's my name," Agent Coulson reminded him placidly.

"But we were all so happy with Agent Coulson," Tony protested. "Why change something that isn't broken?"

Agent Coulson kept a straight face. "Funny thing for a futurist to say. I thought you were all about change for change sake."

Tony's lips quirked, appreciating his point. "How are you feeling?"

Agent Coulson gave a little smile. "Like I got shot in the chest and lived to tell about it."

"And have the scars to prove it." Tony winked at the other man. "Don't sweat it though, chicks dig men with open chest wounds, take it from me." He looked over at Pepper. "And you, you stay away from him. I know you've got a big old thing for men with holes in their chests."

"You'll have to forgive Tony, Phil," said Pepper casually, ignoring him and talking straight to Agent Coulson, "he's gone insane since we last spoke."

Agent Coulson looked thoughtful. "How can you tell?"

"Every time he says something crazy, his lips move," said Pepper teasingly.

"Thanks for the heads up."

Tony pouted. "Are you two done mocking me?"

Pepper laughed. "Hardly."

Tony fixed Agent Coulson with a mock glare. "I blame you for this, you're encouraging her."

"I don't need any encouragement," said Pepper cheekily. She looked over at Agent Coulson. "Phil and I are going to have an early lunch and catch up."

"I'll come too," said Tony quickly.

"You can't," said Pepper simply. "Remember, you told me Director Fury is going to be stopping by soon to let you know how things are going looking for that albino guy, the one Steve thinks was behind the attack on New York." She gave him a pointed look. "You have to be there, you told him you would be."

Tony grimaced. "But that sounds boring."

"Life is full of boring things," said Agent Coulson philosophically.

"My life isn't," Tony protested. "My life is made of awesome which is periodically interrupted with bouts of amazing."

"That was a level of self-awareness I wasn't expecting from him," Agent Coulson remarked to Pepper.

"He has his moments of it," said Pepper in amusement, "but they're usually fleeting."

"You two can still see me, right?" Tony demanded to know. "I've not suddenly developed the ability to become invisible? It's just that you're talking about me as though I'm not here, so I thought I'd better check."

Pepper stood up from behind her desk and walked around to press a kiss to his cheek. "We see you, Tony, we hear you, and now we're leaving you." She breezed on by him and smiled at Agent Coulson as he carefully stood up. "What do you feel like for lunch, Phil?"

"Anything that doesn't come on a hospital tray," he replied.

Pepper smiled and gave a little laugh. "I think we can manage that." She took his arm and helped to steady him and nodded at Tony as they walked by him. "And don't be late for your meeting, Tony."

"When am I ever late for a meeting?" Tony protested.

"You weren't kidding about the self-awareness being fleeting," Agent Coulson commented to Pepper. "I guess we're back into more familiar territory with the self-delusion."

"I'm letting you have lunch with my girl, Coulson," said Tony with mock annoyance, "don't push the friendship." He looked at Pepper. "And don't forget to take the MMMBop boys with you."

Agent Coulson looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"Pepper's security detail, all their last names start with M, there are three of them, so I call them MMMBop," said Tony, proud of himself for finding a moniker for them. "It's funny."

Pepper and Agent Coulson just stared at him.

"You try coming up with something related to three M's," said Tony defensively. "The only other thing I could find was an Australian alternative radio station called Triple M, which would have been perfect, but it's a bit obscure for my essentially American audience."

Agent Coulson looked like he was trying not to smile. "You think?"

"You googled things with three M's in them just to come up with some kind of dismissive name for my security detail?" Pepper asked in disbelief.

"No," said Tony, "because that would be weird." He paused and looked at her expression carefully. "Would that be weird?" Pepper arched an eyebrow at him. "Okay," Tony continued on hastily, "yes, that would be weird, obviously." It seemed perfectly normal to Tony, but it seemed he was in the minority with that one. "And MMMBop _is_ funny," he insisted."

Agent Coulson appeared to disagree. "In my experience, if something is funny, Mr. Stark, you generally don't have to tell people."

"What do you know about funny?" asked Tony indignantly. "You're a SHIELD agent, don't you have your sense of humour surgically removed before they give you the badge and the eight dollar haircut?"

Agent Coulson didn't miss a beat. "They do, but I asked for it back when I heard I'd be working your detail, Mr. Stark, and the haircut cost twelve dollars."

Tony suppressed a smile and tried to look stern. "All this insolence is starting to make me reconsider how I feel about you not being dead after all, Agent Coulson."

"Ignore him," Pepper advised the other man. "Tony is as thrilled as I am that you're going to be alright, Phil. When will you be back at work?"

Tony looked him over in surprise, taking in the fact Agent Coulson was wearing his usual black suit and tie. "If you're not back at work, why are you wearing the suit? Don't you have casual clothes?"

"This is my casual suit," Agent Coulson explained.

"Isn't that an oxymoron?" asked a mystified Tony.

"Phil can wear what he likes and I think he looks very smart," said Pepper. "Come on, I'm starving, let's do lunch." She looked over at Tony. "Have fun at your meeting."

"I won't," Tony confidently predicted, "and you two, have a mediocre time."

Pepper patted his chest affectionately as they walked by. "You complete me," she said wryly.

"Yes, I do," said Tony, watching as they left, "and don't you forget that, Agent Coulson."

He watched them leave, more determined than ever to prove he was reliable to Pepper after that conversation. All Tony had to do was figure out was how to do just that.

**A/N****: Okay, so like many of you, I felt a great travesty had been done by killing Agent Coulson. Whilst I get the artistic and crucial storytelling point that was being made, I just don't want my little cutie pie dead, damn it! And thanks to the wonders of fan fic, he isn't. ;) So, Agent Coulson is back and being as cute as ever. **

**I'm really interested to see what you made of that chapter, guys, especially the Black Widow/Hawkeye stuff. I'm still fleshing out their relationship, but I kind of like the idea of this closed off woman meeting someone who is just as cagey, but maybe looks at things a little differently. It should be fun. ;) **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**** Amazingly I've managed another chapter in the whirlwind of my day. Phew. **

**Okay, so I know some people weren't happy with the scenes between Natasha and Clint in the last chapter, but I do have a method to my madness and the chapter after this one is going to reveal all, if you're so inclined to find out where I'm going with this. It's tricky trying to match up cartoon history against the movieverse one because the movieverse does take liberties, so you end up as a writer of fan fic trying to work out your own truth for the characters while still trying to make them recognisable. For those of you who feel I've deviated too much from cannon with BW and H, I'd ask for you to be patient and as I said, see where I'm going with this. **

**The other thing is that one of my reviewers brought up an interesting point in saying they didn't feel there was enough action or Pepperony in my story. Comments like that always make me stop and think about what I'm doing and crystallise my game plan so to speak, which is always a good thing. The thing is, with this many characters, I want them all to have a voice, which means that some things have to give a little. It's not that I'm necessarily writing any less Pepperony or action scenes then I would have if I was not taking as much time with the other characters stories, it's just that the story would be shorter if I hadn't given Steve a story arc, or H/BW etc. LOL Does that make sense? **

**I thought about the Avengers movie and there weren't that many action scenes really, it was a lot of standing around and talking which was necessary when you had to make an audience invest in so many characters and ultimately care when they are faced with danger. I think Joss Whedon is always so great at finding that balance and making the standing around talking just as much fun as the action. Now, I'm no JW by anyone's standard, but I can relate to his kind of storytelling, because I'm a big old dialogue ho, just like Joss seems to be. ;) **

**Sorry, just thinking aloud there and I know I'll never write a story that is perfectly balanced in everyone's eyes, no one can, but I just thought I'd let you in on my thought processes, for anyone who is interested. :D **

**Okay, on with the show and as always feedback is welcome, good and constructive criticism. **

**Chapter Fifteen**

Steve regarded Thor with interest as he stared out of the large window in the media room which had become the unofficial congregation place for the team. They were waiting on Nick Fury to arrive and fill them in on the latest about the mantis attack. Tony hadn't arrived yet, no surprise he was going to be late and Bruce, as always, had his nose buried in scientific data and looked completely engrossed, but Steve's attention was on Thor. He came to stand beside him and look down at the view of the city still in heavy clean up phase. "Have you made a decision about going to see Jane?" he quizzed the blonde man.

Thor's brow furrowed as he continued to stare out the window. "I wish to do the right thing." He paused. "I just do not know what that right thing is."

Steve understood where he was coming from. This new world seemed endlessly more complicated than the one he'd been taken from. "I know, things can get real confusing, real quick in this world."

"Tony Stark believes I should not make the decision for Jane, but let her have her own voice in this matter."

"That doesn't sound like horrible advice."

Thor gave him a sideways look, an amused smile hovering around his lips. "Your countenance is such that those words seemed to have caused you pain, Steve Rogers."

Steve made a wry face. "They didn't feel good coming out and I've got a nasty aftertaste at saying Tony might be right about anything." He gave Thor a pointed look. "Which I'll deny if anyone asks, got it?"

Thor gave a deep chuckle and shook his head. "The way you two quarrel, 'tis as though you were brothers."

Steve pulled a stricken face. "You've got to be kidding me, Thor. Brothers? We can't stand to be in the same room as each other. The guy drives me crazy."

Bruce broke into the conversation from across the room, not looking up from his papers. "Sounds like brothers to me."

"We have nothing in common," said Steve sharply, the memory of his conversation with Pepper still rolling around in his brain.

Thor gave a louder laugh this time. "Do you really believe that, my friend?"

"Yes," said Steve indignantly.

Bruce peered at him from over the top of his glasses. "So, you both don't want to be the top dog in the room, you don't both always think your way is the best way, you aren't both passionate and bull headed?"

Steve scowled. "Tony Stark and I are nothing alike," he insisted stubbornly.

Tony's voice suddenly joined them as he walked into the room and caught that last statement. "He's right, because I'm awesome and Steve is like the antidote to awesome. He's anti-awesome."

"Now, now, children," tutted Bruce, "if you can't play nicely together, then don't play at all."

Tony walked into the room more and gave a sweet smile at Steve. "Oh, Cappy Crappy is all about playing nice, especially if it's with someone else's girlfriend. Isn't that right, Rogers?"

Steve walked up to him and faced off. "If you've got something to say, why don't you just say it, Stark?"

"Stay away from Pepper," Tony bit out.

"I guess that's up to Pepper," said Steve, not backing down. "We're friends and it's not up to you to tell either of us if we can be just that."

"Yeah, but you don't want to be just friends, do you, Captain Cuckold?" asked Tony in annoyance. "Don't think I don't see what you're doing."

Thor looked over at Bruce in concern. "Should we stop this, Bruce Banner?"

Bruce shrugged. "Nah, it's been brewing for awhile, it's probably good to get this all out in the open."

"What I'm doing is being a good friend," said Steve sharply. "Pepper needed an escort and I stepped into the breach. The breach left by your lack of concern for Pepper I might add."

"Keep it above the belt, Steve," Bruce advised the other man.

"No," said Steve tightly, "he needs to hear what a jerk he is and I'm just the guy to do it. Pepper looked so disappointed when you broke your promise to her and I didn't want to see her sad, so I volunteered."

Tony's eyes narrowed at the obvious implication in that statement. "You think I don't want to see her happy as well?"

"I think you don't see her at all half the time," said Steve roundly. "You're so self-involved you barely have time for Pepper in your life."

"Oh yeah," said Bruce laconically, "this is not going to end well."

Tony took an aggressive step forward and jabbed a finger at Steve's chest. "You don't know the first thing about us, Rogers," he snapped. "I'd give my life for Pepper, you don't know what we've been through. There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect her if she was in danger."

Steve batted his hand away and glared at Tony. "Life isn't made up all those big events, it's made up of a hundred mundane things. No one is questioning that you'd rescue Pepper from a burning building or face death for her, Stark, but what about all of those moments in between? What about Pepper knowing she can rely on you for all the little things that a relationship needs? You're just not there for her and you seem to think that's okay." Steve's jaw hardened. "Well, where I come from, that's no way to treat a lady."

"What do you know about women, Rogers?" Tony snapped back, obviously furious. "The closest thing you've come to getting lucky in the last seventy years is having a penguin take a crap on you!"

Steve couldn't hear one more frozen joke, he was done. He didn't even think about it, his fist snapping back and then punching Tony squarely in the face. Tony staggered backwards in surprise but recovered quicker than Steve thought he would, charging at him and tackling him to the ground.

Bruce and Thor stepped out of the way as Tony and Steve crashed to the ground, locked in a violent struggle. Bruce looked down at the men rolling around on the floor. "Well, no surprises that this was going to be how it ended up."

Tony and Steve were throwing punches but not managing to get up off the floor as they knocked over chairs and tables, yelling insults at each other.

"Someone needs to teach you a lesson, Stark!"

"You couldn't teach kindergarten, Rogers!"

Bruce looked sideways at Thor who was smiling as he watched the men create carnage around them in their mutual rage. "What's so funny?"

"Things are being destroyed." Thor's smile widened. "And 'tis not my responsibility."

Bruce's lips quirked. "Good feeling, huh, buddy?"

Thor nodded. "I break a lot of things," he admitted ruefully.

Nick Fury walked through the door and came to a halt when he saw the fight still raging between Tony and Steve. "What's going on here?"

"A fight that is lasting longer than I expected," Bruce remarked. "Steve may be a supped up soldier, but Tony's surprisingly fast."

"Aye," said Thor in admiration, "'tis true. I thought Steve Rogers would have the upper hand without Tony Stark's suit of iron."

Steve was getting increasingly frustrated that he couldn't get a proper swing at Tony. He could hear the other's commentating and they were right, Tony was a very nimble adversary and he managed to get in more than one good hit which Steve hadn't been expecting. He knew he was going to ultimately win, his training and greater size and strength all but guaranteed it, but it seemed Tony was going to do this the hard way.

"I'm here for a meeting," said Fury flatly, "not to watch a pissing competition. You two, stop that now."

Steve and Tony ignored the stern command completely continuing with their all out brawl.

Bruce folded his arms in front of him. "Got a plan B?"

"I've always got a plan B," said Fury coolly. Without missing a beat, he walked up to the struggling men who were currently on top of the sofa, each one struggling to be on top. Currently Steve was and Fury reached into his jacket and pulled out a taser and tasered each one in turn. Steve made a strangled noise and convulsed off Tony and onto the floor, twitching uncontrollably. Steve was trying to work out what had just happened as his body was flooded with electricity and immobilised him completely. Every muscle in his body was in spasm as he fought against the shock.

Thor was looking on in surprise. "This plan B is most effective."

Bruce was laughing out loud now. "You're my new favourite person, Fury," he said around his laughter. "That was awesome."

Tony's jaw was clenched but he was still trying to curse out the older man. "Y-you ssson of a bbbb-"

"Wh-what happened?" stammered Steve, still trying to get his body back under control as it continued to spasm wildly.

"The Director hit you with his lightning stick," Thor informed him. "It was most impressive."

"And funny," Bruce chimed in, "don't forget funny."

"I got a city in crisis, a mad man on the run and you two seem to have nothing better to do then roll around like third graders," growled Fury.

Steve sat up unsteadily, but couldn't hold himself up, flopping on the floor on his back. "I feel like I've been kicked by a mule."

Tony groaned and tried to sit up as well but ended up rolling off the sofa instead and face-planting on top of Steve, face in his chest.

"Get off m-me," ground out Steve.

"I'm trying," grunted Tony. He tensed and strained valiantly but didn't end up moving a muscle. "Ta dah," said Tony sarcastically when he failed dismally to get his muscles to cooperate.

Steve heard a clicking sound and he managed to look sideways to see Bruce taking a picture on his cell phone. Bruce gave a satisfied smile. "Daddy's got a new screen saver."

Steve didn't know what those words meant but he had bigger concerns right then. "I feel wetness," fretted Steve, trying to look down at Tony who was still on top of him, "are you drooling on me?"

Bruce grimaced. "Best case scenario it's drool, Cap."

"A little help," gasped Tony.

"As you wish, my friend," said Thor, as he walked over and picked up Tony like he weighed no more than a child and then he did the same with Steve, sitting them both on the sofa as the effects of the taser slowly wore off.

"Director Fury, we have an emergency." The disembodied came over the intercom of the Avenger's Tower. "Another attack from metal creatures is being reported in Havana, Cuba."

Fury registered no emotion at the news. "I guess it's time for the Avengers to assemble."

Bruce wrinkled his nose as he regarded Steve and Tony. "Or at least try to unclench."

Fury glared at the two men. "You two had better sort this out. I'm not running a day care here. The next time I see that kind of idiocy, you're going to think of the times you were being attacked by mantis creatures as the good old days." He turned on his heel and stalked away. "I'm too old for this crap."

**A/N****: Okay, peeps, pack your bikinis and board shorts, we're off to Cuba in the next chapter! :D **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N****: Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments and support for this fic. I truly appreciate it. :D It seems you all approve of the Steve/Tony smack down... and particularly of Fury and his taser. LOL You're all so mean. ;) I love it. **

**The whole Steve/Tony thing was coming to a head and it needed to come out. Of course, what will come of it now it is out there, well, you'll just have to read on to see. **

**As you know, writing action isn't my most fave thing, it's sooo much easier to just watch it rather than describe it but this is a story about action heroes, so I have to bite the bullet, I guess. :D I hope it all makes sense to you. **

**My apologies to anyone who is from Cuba about the liberties I've taken with the landscape. I needed some specific landscape to make it work, hope it isn't too far off the mark. **

**Okay, here we go, hold on tight...**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and Bruce stood on the loading bay of the shuttle which had taken them to hover above the city of Havana. They were all standing on the edge, the wild winds buffeting them as they looked down.

"Are you guys seeing this?" asked Steve in disbelief.

"You mean the giant bees and flies attacking the city?" Tony asked. "Yeah, we're seeing this. I guess our albino has more than just praying mantises up his super villain cape." He wiggled his jaw as speaking caused him pain, a bruise already forming from his fight with Steve. Cap was also looking a little worse for wear too , sporting a split lip. Tony tried not to think about that fight while he had an even bigger one to deal with right then.

Bees and flies as big as a car were zipping all around the Havana cityscape. The bees were shooting laser beams from their eyes just like the mantises had done, but they also had the added danger of their stingers becoming harpoons as the bee would curl it's abdomen so that the stinger was pointing at whatever it wanted to destroy. The stinger would shoot out and impale whatever was in the way and then explode just as another stinger would appear at the bee's tale. The flies had the obligatory laser eyes as well, but they had a more confronting secondary line of defence. Tony watched in disgust as they flies would vomit as they flew over things and drop some kind of material on the helpless people and buildings below. He could see the stuff hardening almost immediately and didn't like to think what else it might do. Whatever it was, it was making short work of the tanks the Cuban army had rolled out to defend their city.

"Tony Stark, do you know where these creatures are being controlled from?" asked Thor urgently.

"Jarvis is working on it," said Tony.

"In the meantime these people need help," said Steve, gripping his shield more tightly and taking a step closer to the edge.

"I think I should sit this one out, guys," said Bruce apologetically. He pulled a face. "The other guy has already half-destroyed a city this week. Havana has enough problems."

"Your beast is a mighty weapon, Bruce Banner," said Thor encouragingly. "I would fight by his side any day."

"And I appreciate that, Thor," said Bruce, "but you're a demi-god and not as fragile as a human. I'm pretty sure I'll do more harm than good."

"You'll be fine, B," said Tony blithely, "we need big, buff and bad-tempered, he's our heavy hitter."

Bruce looked down at the warzone going on below them and gave a regretful shake of his head. "I can't, it's not worth the risk. I'm sorry, guys."

"It's okay," said Tony, "we understand."

Bruce turned around to get out of their way and Tony smiled at him before giving him a hard shove to the chest. Bruce's eyes went wide as Tony's push forced him to step backwards and promptly fall off the end of platform. The physicist tumbled through the air in free fall, Bruce's outraged cry drifting up to them. "Son of a bitch!" he hollered.

Steve shook his head at Tony's antics. "Bruce isn't going to be happy with you for that."

Tony smirked as his helmet visor slid down into place. "That's the plan." He jumped off the end of the platform, waiting a few seconds and allowing himself to free fall before engaging his thrusters. Bruce was still somersaulting through the air, but he was transforming as he went, giant, green muscles splitting his shirt at the seams. Tony knew he was going to pay for that stunt later, but he didn't care. The Hulk was a necessary part of the team, no matter what his reluctant alter ego might think. They were already down two team members in Hawkeye and Black Widow and they needed all the help they could get. The Hulk hit the ground with a thud that rattled bricks in buildings and shattered glass. Tony watched as the Hulk hauled himself out of the crater he'd made with his landing in the middle of the street and let out a roar in his direction. Tony immediately decided to give the guy a little bit of room and headed up in the air and over a few streets, looking for bugs to squish. He didn't have to look hard, the skies were practically black with the bees and flies. Darting between the metal creatures, Tony skilfully took out dozens with his repulsors but knew from experience it was a short term solution. There was no doubt that these things would be re-forming just as quickly as they were being destroyed. "Jarvis," he barked, "have you located the signal yet?"

"I'm still working on it, sir. I'm having trouble locking down the position. It's as though it's moving."

"Hurry," said Tony as he watched a block of buildings crumble, dust and debris flying off them as people below scurried to safety. "This city doesn't have much time." He looked around to see Thor dropping Steve into the thick of the bugs and once again Steve was leaping from creature to creature in midflight, slicing their heads off as he went. Meanwhile, Thor swung his mighty hammer above them all and the air became thick with electricity as lightning flashed across the skies and the very heavens themselves rumbled death. Tony would be lying if he said he wasn't just a little envious of having such power at your fingertips. A fleeting thought crossed through Tony's mind that he had to have a closer look at that hammer of Thor's one day. He just knew he could learn something from it. Tony was forced back into the present as he narrowly missed being impaled by a stinger. He rolled out of the way just in time and unfortunately crashed through an apartment window at the same time. The joints of his armour whirred and clicked as he shook his head and stood up. The terrified family were all huddling under a table and looking at him in wide eyed disbelief. Tony cleared his throat. "Ah, sorry about that, guys. _Lo siento_."

A little boy popped his head out from behind his mother's protective grasp and grinned a gap toothed smile at Tony. "_Te queremos_ (we love you), Iron Man."

Tony inclined his head and gave him a little salute. "Back at you, kiddo." Tony ran at the window, heading out the same way he'd entered, launching himself into the fray once again.

The Hulk was now standing on top of a two-storey apartment block simply pulling the creatures out of the air and tearing them to pieces. It was an impressive sight, just as was Thor diving through the mass of buzzing bodies and destroying them with his hammer. The army below was trying to help them, shooting up into the air, but they may as well have been using pea shooters for all the good it did. Tony shook his head in frustration even as he dispatched more of the bugs with his unibeam. "Jarvis, I'm not kidding, I really need to know where that signal is coming from!"

"I have it, sir," said Jarvis triumphantly. "It was indeed a moving target, which was why I was having so much trouble."

It appeared that albino man had a pretty big bag of tricks with how he put out this controlling signal. "Show me," Tony ordered Jarvis. Immediately the screen in front of his face zeroed in on one of the flies, illuminating it amongst all the other metal insects. "Right," said Tony grimly, "nuclear explosives on board?"

"Unfortunately yes, sir."

"I'm on it." Tony jetted towards the mechanical fly as fast as he could.

In the next instant Steve suddenly leapt on the back of the signalling fly and raised his shield, ready to slice it in two, unaware of its importance and danger.

"NO!" Tony screamed. "Cap, no!"

Steve hesitated, shield raised and looked over at him just as the fly seemed to somehow work out that it was in trouble. It shot up in the air, Steve still clinging to his back and Tony took off after them.

Tony speed after them. "You're sitting on the signalling device," he said fiercely to Steve, "and it's wired with a nuclear device again. Whatever you do, don't set it off!"

"Wasn't planning on it," grunted Steve as they tore up the sky, quickly leaving the city behind them.

"Thor, Hulk, Cap and I have the signalling device and we're going to disarm it," Tony informed them as he made sure he kept up with the fly with Steve as impromptu jockey. "Hang tight."

"Make haste, Tony Stark," Thor advised him. "I fear the beast is not only destroying these flying vermin."

Tony could hear the Hulk roaring in the background and grimaced. "On it."

"This thing isn't slowing down," Steve noted as they raced through the sky, the ground flashing far below them at a terrific rate. Below them now were craggy cliff faces and mountain ranges. At least they weren't in a populated area anymore, which was one good thing.

Tony caught up with the fly and leapt on the back of it, facing Steve as they both rode it now. He pulled the back plate off and immediately saw the bomb planted inside. This time round Tony knew exactly what to do and pulled all three blue wires at once. The bomb was immediately disarmed, but it seemed like the oversized fly had a few more moves in its repertoire. It suddenly reversed, causing Tony and Steve to fly off the front of the creature. As they spun through the air, Steve had the presence of mind to hurl his shield at the fly and managed to cut its head off. The head and body separated, each starting to tumble towards the earth.

Tony raised his arm and used his repulsors to destroy the body, knowing it would stop the other bees and flies in the city. The head spun down to the earth as Tony grabbed Steve to stop him falling as well. He lifted his arm again to dispose of the head now, but it managed to launch a clump of the metallic vomit at them. Tony dodged it, still holding onto Steve and fired, despatching the head, but he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the vomitus mass altogether. The material caught them both around the feet. The material hardened around their feet almost immediately just as all the electrics in Tony's suit failed at once. The two of them plummeted to the earth like the proverbial rock. They were spinning out of control and all they could do was hold onto each other as Tony had a brief moment to consider this might be how he was going to meet his maker, in the arms of Steve Rogers. This was an unacceptable way to die in his mind. They were racing towards the ground so fast it was hard to see anymore but just as fast as they were falling and bracing for an undoubtedly fatal impact, suddenly they weren't. The two of them jerked like rag toys as the hardened mass around their feet became stuck in a crevice of a deep valley between two mountains. They dangled there, upside down, securely held in position by the hardened metal around their feet which was wedged into the rock face. Below them was about a four hundred foot drop to the valley floor below.

Tony pushed his visor open, seeing as none of the electrics were working and looked around to assess their situation properly. "Well, this isn't great."

"We're not dead," noted Steve, getting his bearings as well.

"Unless we are dead and this is our hell," commented Tony.

"Don't even joke about it," said Steve dourly. "Does your communicator work?"

"No, everything was taken out by whatever was in that metal. I've got bupkiss."

"Me too." Steve clenched his stomach muscles and did an upside down sit up to take a closer look at the material cementing their feet together. "I think I can get us out of this metal with my shield."

"You can see how far up we are, right?" Tony quizzed him. "Neither one of us is going to walk away from that."

"So, what are you telling me, we're stuck like this, hanging here like two hams until someone comes and rescues us?" asked Steve indignantly.

"That or we pass out from all the blood rushing to our head," agreed Tony, already feeling his face going red.

"I don't believe this," said Steve in annoyance.

"Yeah," said Tony, "it bites the big one alright."

The two men swung quietly in the breeze, only the sound of the wind whistling around them filling the silence for a long time. At last Tony spoke, finally giving voice to what he'd been thinking ever since his fight with Steve. The other man's words had cut deep, mainly because he was afraid they were true. "I do love Pepper, you know. I may not be great at the little stuff but that doesn't mean I don't want to be."

Steve turned his head to look at him in surprise.

"You think I don't know that Pepper can do better than me?" asked Tony unevenly. "That she doesn't deserve better than me?"

Steve sighed. "Yeah, but she loves you and you love her. I don't have any right to come between that."

"You weren't coming between us," conceded Tony begrudgingly. "You were just stating the obvious because you care about Pepper and I can't fault anyone for caring about her." He pulled a face. "Even though I really want to."

"Pepper is easy to care about," said Steve. "I want the best for her and sometimes I think you can do better, Tony, that's all."

"I'm a novice at this relationship thing," Tony admitted unhappily.

"Hey, I haven't had a date in seventy years," said Steve wryly. "What do I know?"

Tony looked at over at the other man. "So, we're cool?"

Steve frowned. "Is that another Frostie the Snowman joke?"

Tony gave a little laugh. "No, it's an expression, it means is everything okay between us?"

"Are you asking for a truce?"

"I guess I can admit you don't completely suck," said Tony, feigning reluctance. The truth was he felt better having gotten things out in the open between them. It was like the worst of the tension between them was finally gone and Tony didn't hate the feeling.

"This maybe all the blood pooling in my head, but I guess you're not as big of a jerk as I thought you were when we first met," replied Steve with just as much feigned reluctance.

"So, it's a truce." Tony thought about that for a moment. "But you get that I'm still going to have to make fun of you on a regular basis, right? You're just too easy of a target for me to resist."

"And you get that I'm still going to tell you when you're being a horse's ass, right?" returned Steve without missing a beat.

"Sounds fair."

"And this conversation, it never happened."

"Obviously."

There was more silence between them until Steve asked an absent question. "So, how long do you think before they find us?"

"Cuba isn't that big," Tony remarked. "How long can it take?" The question hung between them as they both considered just how big Cuba really was.

Steve folded his arms in front of his chest, a resigned expression coming over his face. "We're going to be here awhile, aren't we?"

"Yup," said Tony in equal resignation. He scratched his check absently. "Looks like we've got some time to kill." He looked sideways at Steve. "Eye spy, with my little eyes, something beginning with S-"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Got any better ideas?"

Steve seemed to think about that for awhile and then gave up. "Sky?"

"Nope."

"Shoes?"

"Nope."

"Shoot me?"

"Tempting, but no."

"Skin?"

"No."

"Shield?"

"No."

Steve grimaced. "Why can't you ever pass out when you want to?"

"Just unlucky I guess," said Tony philosophically. "Keep going."

"Shit."

"Getting warmer."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N****: Yes, I've finally found some more time to write the next chapter. This week has been brutal. I get one day off and then I start another 14 day round of working. I'm meeting myself going backwards these days. Never mind, it'd be a terrible thing to be bored, right? ;) **

**Now, this chapter. I must confess I'm rather nervous about it. I have two elements to this story that concern me, and this is the first of them. I'm not sure what you're going to make of this, but these next two chapters have felt like pushing molasses up a hill on a sunny day to write. I think it's in part because it's a bit of a change of mood and there is no real comedy in these next two chapters. This is more exposition on the Natasha/Clint relationship which I hope will ring true for the characters. **

**Anyways, the die is cast with these chapters and all I can do is run with it now. So, see what you make of it and I'll definitely have an update tomorrow because I split this chapter because it was getting ridiculously long. Again, refer to the molasses comment. . **

**Here we go... **

**Chapter Seventeen**

The taxi pulled up in front of the Plaza Hotel where Justin Hammer was meant to be residing and Natasha reached for the door handle to get out.

Clint put out a hand and stalled her. "Wait." He looked over to the front seat and addressed the driver. "Can you give us a minute?"

The man met his gaze in the mirror. "What?"

Clint made a motion with his finger for him to get out of the taxi. "Can you give us a moment?"

"You want me to get out of the cab?" the other man asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," said Clint, "take the keys and keep the meter running if you're worried."

"Clint, what are you doing?" Natasha asked, giving him a confused look.

Clint's attention was still on the driver. "Do you mind?"

The guy hesitated and then shrugged, obviously deciding it was all money in the bank to him. He climbed out and left Natasha and Clint alone in the cab.

Clint turned to face the woman who was looking at him warily now. "So," he said conversationally, "are you going to tell me what's up with you or what?" Clint saw Natasha tense and that confirmed for him that he wasn't imagining the sudden cooling of the relationship between them. "I'm serious, Natasha," he said firmly and jerked his head towards the front of the cab, "meter is running, so time to start talking."

Her expression didn't change. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You've been acting weird for days now," said Clint. "All of a sudden you don't want me going on missions with you when we've been on countless ones before. Fury recruited us together, we've come up through the ranks together and now you're acting like I'm a stranger, or worse, the enemy and I want to know what is going on with you?"

"We can talk about this later," said Natasha tightly, "right now we have-"

"Right now we have to sort this out," said Clint determinedly. "This whole angst between us all of a sudden is a liability to us both. I've given you some time to snap out of it and you haven't, so now I think I deserve an explanation."

He watched her lips tighten. "Deserve?"

"Yes, deserve," said Clint without hesitation. "You can play the ice princess routine with anyone else but me, Natasha. I know you and this isn't us." He paused, a realisation dawning on him. "And that's why you're suddenly resenting our history, isn't it?" he quizzed her. "You're keeping a secret and you don't want anyone to know what it is and you're worried I'll figure it out." Clint sat back in his seat, surprised at himself for not working it out sooner. "Now it all starts to make sense." He turned in his seat and looked at her intently. "So, fess up, what is this deep dark secret that you're keeping from me?" He nudged her leg. "Come on, it can't be that bad, not after all we've been through." Clint could see how tightly Natasha was holding her body and he was determined to put her at ease. "I promise you I'm not going to be shocked."

There was a long pause where Natasha was obviously weighing things up. When she finally spoke, it was the last thing Clint had expected. "I've got a brain tumour." Natasha kept her profile stoically staring straight ahead as she said the words, her voice devoid of emotion.

Clint felt the air rush from his lungs in a stunned breath even as his brain struggled to comprehend her words. "Wh-what?"

"I've got a brain tumour," she repeated woodenly. "I was having a little blurred vision in my left eye and when I had a check up, they found a mass in my brain. It's pressing on my optic nerve and as it grows it's going to cause me to go blind."

Despite his promise not to be shocked, Clint was struggling to deal with this news. "What-when-can they take it out?"

"I've found one doctor who is willing to consider the surgery but it's high risk," she said quietly. "There is a good chance I could wake up from the surgery and be a quadriplegic, if I wake up at all."

Clint's shoulders sagged at this devastating news. He needed for this not to be true. "Have you gotten a second opinion?"

"Everyone I've talked to pretty much agrees this sucks," Natasha deadpanned.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going through this?" he asked in distress. "How long have you known for?"

"They told me three days ago. I was in the doctor's office getting the news when the praying mantises attacked."

"And you came on the mission anyway?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm an Avenger," she said simply, "it's my job."

Clint was reeling from the news and tried to imagine the kind of internal fortitude it must have taken to go on a mission after learning such potentially life altering news. "You should have told me, Natasha. No one should have to go through this kind of thing alone."

Natasha turned to face him, the emotion finally back in her big, green eyes which were suddenly too bright. "All I have is this job, Clint, and if I can't do this job then I don't know what I'll do. This kind of work doesn't have a plan B to it, you commit everything to it and you don't look back, that's how it goes. I need to know that people know they can rely on me to do my job properly. If I don't have the trust of the rest of the Avengers and Fury, then what the hell do I have? Nothing, that's what."

"You have me," said Clint sincerely. He took her hand. "Look, we're not like the rest of the team, we're not weird or insane, we're normal."

Natasha arched an eyebrow.

Clint's lips quirked. "Relatively speaking, of course. We're a team, you and I, a proven one and we'll get through this together."

"I couldn't handle becoming a burden to anyone," she said unevenly. "What use is a supposed super hero who can't see?"

Clint shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we can ask Daredevil next time we bump into him."

Natasha closed her eyes. "I'm no Daredevil."

"You'll have the surgery and everything will be fine," he said firmly, not even wanting to consider the alternative.

"And if I'm not fine?" she said harshly. "Maybe it's better to go down swinging and do what I know how to do for as long as I can rather than risk losing it all prematurely?"

Clint frowned. "Are you telling me you're seriously not considering having the operation?"

Her face clouded over. "I don't know," she said unevenly. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

Fear clawed at Clint's stomach that he might be facing losing her. "And you don't have to do it right now. You've got time, haven't you?"

"My specialist says it's a relatively slow growing tumour," said Natasha quietly. "I have time."

That was all Clint needed to hear. "Good, then we can talk about it later. Let's just get this job done and we'll sit down and talk about it properly."

Natasha gave him a very serious look. "Do you still want me doing this with you, now that you know?"

Clint could see how hard that question was for her to ask. "I made a big deal about our history earlier for a good reason," said Clint without hesitation. "History tells me you've always got my back and I hope it tells you the same thing," said Clint firmly. "I know you'll tell me when you don't think you're up to something, Natasha. I trust your judgement."

Clint watched the relief flood her face. "I don't want anyone else to know, Clint," she said urgently. "This has to remain between us. If Fury finds out he'll bench me and if this is going to be my last few weeks as a useful member of the Avengers, I don't want to waste it."

Not having Natasha around was a tough thought for Clint to get his head around, but he made sure not to show it. He gave a lopsided smile. "I've got your back, kiddo, just like always."

Natasha swallowed hard and let Clint see a brief moment of vulnerability as her expression registered gratitude but then it was gone as the cool mask of the Black Widow slid into place and she gave him a determined look. "So, full frontal attack with Hammer?"

It felt like a relief to talk about the mission after the emotion of the last few minutes. Clint could see Natasha needed it as much as he did. "I'm not against putting the fear of God into the guy."

Natasha smiled a cool smile, a look of mischief in her eyes. "Looks like we have a plan."

**A/N****: Thoughts, observations, comments, people? A bit of a curve ball, I know. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N****: Thanks for all the great feedback, guys. I'm glad you're still all with me on this one, albeit a little nervously for some of you. LOL For those of you who are worried, let me just say this – I'm an Avenger's fan. So, I'm looking to entertain other Avenger's fans. Take that as you will when it comes to Natasha's ultimate fate. ;) **

**Again, not much humour in this one, but that's not necessarily a bad thing I guess. **

**Hope you enjoy...**

**Chapter Eighteen**

A few minutes later Clint and Natasha had made their way up to the penthouse and were knocking on the door. Clint appreciated the time to collect his thoughts. He hadn't been expecting something like this, but then, no one ever really did. He knew Natasha wouldn't thank him for cutting her any slack, so he tried to keep things as normal as he could between them. Clint looked around the deserted hallway as they waited for the door to be opened. It kind of surprised him to see there was no security attached to the penthouse. Justin Hammer seemed like the kind of guy who'd want as much showy protection as he could get.

The door was opened to reveal Justin in a fluffy white robe, hair damp from where he'd obviously just taken a shower. He arched a surprised eyebrow at them. "Well, this is unexpected, a visit from the second string of the Avengers. I'm almost honoured."

The little dig annoyed Clint but he kept his expression unreadable.

"Can we come in?" Natasha asked calmly.

Justin gave her a considered look. "That depends. Last time we met you were grinding my face into the desk, Ms Romanoff. Can I expect the same treatment this time round?"

Natasha confidently walked through the door, not waiting for an invitation any longer. "It's too early to tell."

Justin chuckled. "She's a feisty one, isn't she?" he noted to Clint as Clint followed Natasha's lead and walked into the penthouse uninvited. Justin didn't complain, simply closing the door behind them. He turned around and stuck his hands in the oversized pockets of his robe and looked back and forth between them, smiling. "Drink anyone?"

"We're not here to drink," said Clint shortly.

"Well, colour me intrigued as to why you are here then," said Justin. He started towards the bar. "You don't mind if I indulge, do you?"

Clint glanced across the room to see the large flat screen TV was on, sound muted and with graphic images of giant bees and flies ravaging the Havana landscape with the rest of the Avengers battling them valiantly.

Justin walked up to the screen with a glass of scotch in his hand. He took in the carnage going on and shook his head. "Hell of a thing, huh? I don't know what the world is coming to, I really don't." He looked back at them and pulled a sympathetic space. "Did you two not get an invitation to that little shindig?"

Natasha gave him a pointed look. "We're already on a mission."

Justin's face actually lit up. "Are you telling me I rank up there with killer metal bugs?" he asked in delight. "Well, now I really am honoured." Justin gave them a curious look. "You know, I volunteered to join the Avengers recently."

"We know," said Clint flatly.

Justin pulled a mournful face. "I was turned down unfortunately." He eyed them speculatively. "Although, I couldn't help but noticed they didn't seem to think to give you two a vote on the subject. I guess there is a class system within the Avenger's, huh? Some are more equal than others?"

Clint knew what the other man was trying to do. "Some things are just a no brainer," he said indifferently.

Justin lifted one shoulder. "Maybe, but it still would have been nice for them to even consider consulting you." He scratched his cheek. "I was there, and they didn't." Justin wrinkled his nose. "That mustn't be a good feeling to know you don't get a say in Avenger's affairs and yet they still expect you to risk your life for them."

Clint's eyes narrowed, feeling the need to defend their roles in the Avengers but he knew that would mean Justin would know he'd hit a nerve. His jaw hardened as he kept resolutely silent.

Clint could see Natasha wasn't about to be put off by Hammer's inane chatter however. "Noble Maniatis – do you remember him?"

Justin sighed heavily and took a sip of his drink, shaking his head sadly. "Poor Noble, so brilliant, yet so troubled."

"He worked for you," prompted Natasha.

"He did," Justin agreed readily. "I had to let him go just over a year ago."

"Why?"

Justin pulled a face. "Like I said, Noble was brilliant, but like a lot of brilliant people he had his eccentricities. As time went on and his obsession with his work grew, those eccentricities went from adorable to well, quite frankly, frightening." He looked regretful. "I just had to pull the plug."

"Frightening in what way?" asked Natasha.

Clint let his eyes glide around the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary and content to let Natasha do what she did best. He always found talking to people vaguely annoying anyway, best to leave it to the experts.

Justin grimace. "I employed Noble because of his unprecedented work with nanotechnology. He was working on a project for me whereby he could install a memory of sort into certain metals. It was intriguing work and had huge potential to benefit mankind. Unfortunately, Noble took his work off on a tangent I just wasn't comfortable with. He claimed the technology could be applied to humans."

Natasha frowned. "In what way?"

"He claimed he could create an implant, one that would move through your bloodstream and lodge in your brain, allowing that person to be controlled remotely." Justin pulled a face. "I know, crazy, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "He never succeeded?"

Justin gave a little laugh. "Of course not, all that is total science fiction but that didn't mean Noble wasn't above giving it a red hot go. Unfortunately, he kidnapped one of our cleaning staff and was all set to inject him with a metal liquid when my security found him. The cleaner was unhurt, but you could see that I had to let Noble go after that. I can't have that kind of loose cannon working for me, no matter how much of a genius he is."

"And you reported all this to the police?"

Justin gave a little shrug of his shoulders. "Not exactly. Look, Noble was a troubled young man who I tried to take under my wing. It didn't work out but that doesn't mean I wished him any ill will."

Clint arched an eyebrow. "I'm wondering if your cleaner felt the same way?"

"He was amply compensated for the mental anguish," said Justin blithely, "and I just had Noble fired. There didn't seem any point in making an unhappy situation any more complicated." He cocked his head and regarded them with interest. "Why all the questions about Noble all of a sudden, guys?" Justin blinked and then looked over at the TV screen where the fight of man against bug seemed to be over, with man winning. He looked back at them with a dawning comprehension. "You don't think, I mean, are you telling me you think Noble Maniatis is behind all these metal bugs destroying cities all over the world?"

Natasha was watching him closely. "You don't think that's a possibility?"

Justin made a great show of opening his mouth, then closing it again, appearing to be grappling with the concept. "Well," he said at last, "Noble did always love insects." Justin wrinkled his nose. "He had a whole aquarium full of them in his lab when he was with us. It kind of grossed me out. I'm more of a kitten man myself. Give me something covered in fur and a little rough tongue and I'm a goner." Justin sighed heavily. "I guess it's possible that Noble is doing this, but I just have to wonder why? He was never one for violence and this person, the one using all these metal creatures to destroy cities, well, you have to wonder what the point is? It's not like he's making any demands or anything. It just seems like a really random thing for Noble to be behind. Still, if you need any help tracking Noble down to sort this out, I'm more than willing to help."

"Do you know where Dr Maniatis is?" Natasha quizzed him.

"No."

Clint rolled his eyes. "You've been a big help."

"I can give you the address we have for him on our files," offered Justin. "That's a starting point, right? I want this cleared up just as much you do. I'll have my people email the information to your people," he said eagerly.

"That won't be necessary," said Natasha coolly.

"But I want to do my civic duty," protested Justin. "I'm looking to give back to the world, in any way I can."

Clint resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. This guy was such a blowhard.

Justin went back to watching the screen. He shook his head and tutted. "Is it just me or does it look like the Avengers are struggling a bit."

"We've defeated those things before, we'll do it again," said Natasha simply.

Justin's head bobbed up and down as he nodded. "Of course, of course, but it does seem to be taking a lot of time while Havana is basically being levelled to the ground." He rubbed his chin. "But then, these kinds of things aren't going to be a problem soon," Justin continued on blithely.

Clint's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Justin waved a hand at him, a pleased smile on his face. "All in good time, my dear Hawkeye. Good things come to those who wait, I've learnt that the hard way." He looked between them. "Now, if there is nothing else I can help you with, I've got things to do this afternoon. So, if you don't mind." Justin gestured towards the door.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Hammer," said Natasha coolly.

"Anytime, my dear," said Justin cheerfully. "My door is always open to the Avengers. After all, we all just want the same thing, a peaceful and safe world for everyone, right?"

Clint and Natasha didn't answer him, they simply walked out of the door and down the corridor to the elevator. As soon as the doors shut Clint looked at her sideways. "Is it working?"

Natasha pulled out a small receiver and pressed a button. The sound of 'I'm Bringing Sexy Back' being played on the stereo with Justin Hammer providing backup vocals could immediately be heard. "Perfectly."

Clint couldn't help the admiring smile he gave her. "I was watching you and even I didn't see you plant that bug. You've got some moves, Romanoff."

She gave a little smile. "That's why they pay me the big bucks."

"Wait," said Clint in feigned amazement, "they pay you to do this job?"

Natasha laughed but then was back to business. "What did you make of the little show we were just treated to?"

"Hammer obviously knows more than he's letting on. The question is how much more?"

She nodded slowly. "That is the question." Natasha pocketed the device. "Hopefully this will give us some more information on that front."

Clint's communicator went off and he answered it immediately, Nick Fury's voice on the other end. "Sir?" He grimaced as he heard the news. "We're on our way, sir."

He hung up as Natasha gave him a questioning look. "What is it?"

"Steve and Tony have gone missing," said Clint grimly. "They were last seen going after the signalling device which was controlling the bugs. The bugs have all disintegrated, but no Iron Man or Captain America. No one can get them on their communicators either. Fury wants all hands on deck to find them."

Natasha gave a short nod as the elevator arrived at the bottom floor. "Let's do this."

The two of them ran out of the elevator, intent on getting to Cuba and looking for their fallen teammates...


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N****: Many thanks to everyone who commented on the last couple of chapters. :D I feel comforted about the angle I've chosen to take with that and I'm glad the Natasha/Clint fans approve. ;) That was a big concern of mine. **

**So, now we've had some story line laid down for Nat/Clint (?CliNat ?NaCl – extra salty ;) LOL ), we've had some adventure, we've had some comedy, we've had some JH time and now it must be time for some more Pepperony. I have a kind of a rhythm in my head for how all these elements should go together and like to try and keep to it as to what kind of scene needs to come next. It doesn't always work as some stuff waffles on, but I do try. **

**So, the next couple of chapters are mainly Pepperony with some Happony thrown in for good measure. Hope you have fun with it. :D **

**Chapter Nineteen**

Happy looked over the top of his cards at Pepper. "Your turn."

Pepper was gnawing on her bottom lip, staring blindly at the cards in her hand. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and she was still waiting for Tony and the others to return from the Havana mission. The first report she'd gotten was that Steve and Tony had gone missing just before the bugs had been destroyed but then no one had been able to contact them since. Pepper had spent seven nerve wracking hours waiting for word about what had happened to them and when the call had finally come that both Tony and Steve had been found safe and sound, she hadn't been able to hold back the tears. The sound of Tony's voice over the phone had been the sweetest sound Pepper had ever known. He'd told her that he was fine and there was nothing to worry about. That was an hour ago, and there was no way she was going to be able to go to sleep until she could put her arms around Tony and see for herself that he was okay.

"Pep, your turn."

Happy's prompt had her blinking a little distractedly and then focusing on her cards. She laid them down. "Gin."

Happy looked taken aback. "Wait, we're playing gin? I was playing poker."

Pepper wrinkled her nose. "I don't think either one of us has their mind on the game right now."

"He's okay, Pepper," Happy reassured her.

Pepper fixed a brave smile to her face. "Yes, this time he's fine." She looked away abruptly, knowing there was no answer to this problem. This was always going to be how things were. Pepper could only pray that these waits would get less nerve wracking but she suspected the opposite was going to be true. She felt Happy's large hand cover hers.

"I know this isn't easy for you."

Pepper looked back at her friend's concerned face and forced a brave smile to her face. "What's so great about easy things, anyway?"

Happy's lips quirked. "You mean, apart from them being easy?"

Pepper smiled. "Yes, apart from that, of course." She knew Happy understood her quandary but there was nothing either one of them could do about it. They both loved a man who systematically put himself in harm's way whenever he got the chance. It just was what it was.

"The shuttle is approaching, Ms. Potts."

Pepper tensed at Jarvis' message. "Thank you, Jarvis, we'll meet them on the roof," she said quickly.

"Take a coat," Happy mothered her, "it's chilly out there."

The last thing Pepper was thinking about was the weather as she hurried over to the elevator and pressed the button. "I don't need a coat, Happy."

Happy was already picking her jacket up and putting it around her shoulders as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "Humour me."

Pepper gave in, not interested in arguing about it right then. The elevator arrived and they stepped in, Pepper immediately pressing the button for the roof. The doors closed too slowly for her liking but then they were being whisked up to the roof. The doors were barely opening when they arrived at their destination when Pepper was hurrying out of them. She and Happy watched as the hatch of the shuttle opened and Thor walked out with Tony, seeming to be holding him up. Pepper's heart leapt into her mouth as she feared the worse as she rushed to his side. "Tony!" she called out anxiously.

Tony's face lit up at seeing her. "There's my girl," he said happily and pulled free of Thor's helping grasp and held out his arms to her to only promptly fall backwards and land on his back on the ground.

Pepper was immediately by his side, kneeling down and cradling his head. "Tony, what's wrong? Are you alright?" she asked fretfully.

"I'm fine," said Tony easily as he smiled up at her. "Did you get more beautiful while I was gone?"

Pepper wasn't interested in flirting right then. "Tony, you fell down."

"Oh yeah," said Bruce blithely as he helped Steve out of the shuttle, "he does that now, they both do, in fact."

Pepper's lips thinned in impatience. "Is someone going to tell me what is going on?"

Nick Fury stepped out of the shuttle and finally answered Pepper's question properly. "Captain America and Iron Man have been hanging upside down for some time now. They're just having a bit of trouble getting their equilibrium now they're the right way up."

"How long is some time?" asked Pepper in concern.

"Long enough to go through the alphabet fifteen times while playing 'I Spy'," said Steve in annoyance, still leaning heavily on Bruce.

"Which I won," said Tony in satisfaction.

"It came down to a tiebreaker and I still say sex appeal isn't a thing," countered Steve immediately. "The game is called 'I Spy' and you can't see sex appeal."

"You can when it comes to me," said Tony with a smirk. "I ooze sex appeal."

Steve snorted. "You ooze annoying."

"They were upside down for about seven hours," translated Fury casually.

"Seven hours!" Pepper exclaimed. She looked Tony over. "Are you sure you're alright, Tony?"

"It's just a little overload of blood to the head," said Tony dismissively as he sat up and then toppled forwards this time. His voice was muffled against the ground. "I'm fine."

Happy eyed the way Tony was face planted into the concrete. "You look fine," he commented, straight-faced.

"You need to get to bed," said Pepper firmly. She looked at Steve. "You both do."

Tony was still face down, as he held up an imperious finger and waved it in the general direction of Steve. "I'm not going to bed with that guy. I've just spent seven hours hanging upside down with him. I'm drawing a line." He made a line in the air. "The line is drawn," he said roundly.

"Like it was a dream come true for me," said Steve indignantly.

Thor shook his head. "I had hoped you two might have found a common ground to build a comradeship on with the time you have spent together. Verily, I see nothing has changed."

Pepper saw Steve and Tony briefly make eye contact and she thought she saw something pass between them but then it was back to the wisecracks.

Tony sat up gingerly, trying to steady himself. "That's not true, Thor. Before I suspected Steve was a jackass, now I'm certain of it." He blinked and started to tilt to the left. "Oh, here I go," he muttered. Pepper scrambled to stop Tony from hitting the ground too heavily, grabbing hold of the material of his t-shirt as he slumped to his left.

Pepper looked up at Fury worriedly and he shook his head at her. "He's going to be fine, Pepper, they both are. I've had them checked out and they've both been given a clean bill of health and this equilibrium problem should have gone away by tomorrow." Fury gave both Tony and Steve pointed looks. "When we'll be discussing, at length, the two of you going off by yourselves without telling anyone."

"Yay," said Tony with false enthusiasm.

Fury looked at the rest of the team. "I'll be doing a debriefing at 0900 tomorrow morning. I expect all of you to be there." His eyes narrowed as his gaze rested on Tony. "On time," he said ominously.

Tony looked at Bruce and spoke in a loud stage whisper. "Why is he looking at me?"

"I guess we'll never know," deadpanned Bruce.

"Tomorrow, 0900," Fury repeated and then he was striding back into the shuttle, the hatch closing promptly behind him and then the craft was shooting up into the air and heading back to the main carrier which loomed large over New York's skyline.

"Happy, can you help me get Tony to bed, please?" Pepper requested. She didn't care about tomorrow, she just cared about seeing Tony was alright now.

Happy nodded and walked up to Tony, squatting down and moving to throw him over his shoulder but Tony shook his head and then promptly fell backwards again. "I can't be upside down again today," he said unevenly from where he was now lying on his back on the ground. "I can make it."

"No, you can't," said Pepper firmly and nodded at Happy again.

Happy tried again, this time scooping Tony up in his arms.

"Be gentle with me, I bruise like a peach," Tony warned him as Happy bent down and picked him up in his arms.

Happy straightened up with a grunt. "My back can't take much more of this."

"Well, I _can_ make it," said Steve decisively as he let go of Bruce and took a couple of steps, only to topple forwards onto his hands and knees. He tried to stand up again but kept on swaying too badly, so instead Steve opted to remain on his hands and knees, shuffling towards the elevator.

"Ohh," clucked Bruce, "dignified."

"You look ridiculous," Tony crowed from his vantage point of Happy holding him in his arms.

"At least I don't look like I'm about to go on my wedding night with Happy," Steve shot back.

"Hey, hey," protested Happy indignantly, "I've got standards, I'd never marry Tony."

Happy was treated with an indignant look from Tony. "You're fired."

"Still a better option than marrying you."

"Stop it, all of you," said Pepper determinedly. "Thor, could you please help Steve make it to his apartment?"

"I don't need help," Steve protested and promptly crawled right into a wall, bumping his head. "Ow."

"Don't argue with me, Steven Rogers," said Pepper, her tone brooking no more discussion on the matter.

"The maiden has spoken," said Thor, walking over to help Steve to his feet, "and I for one do not wish to tarry in carrying out her commands."

"Don't pick me up," Steve warned him and Thor simply put his arm around the other man to steady him. Steve jabbed an uncoordinated finger at Happy and Tony. "I don't want to look like that."

"Happy likes carrying me around," Tony countered. "It makes him feel useful."

"No, I don't and no, it doesn't."

"Alright," Tony backtracked, "I pay you to carry me around if the issue comes up."

"You just fired me."

"You're rehired."

"Can I renegotiate my wage?"

"What, you want to be paid less?" Tony shrugged in his arms. "Weird, but okay."

Happy treated him with an unimpressed look. "I want my health cover to include physio if this carrying business is going to be an ongoing thing."

"Not going to happen."

"I need to join a union," Happy grumbled.

"Would you two please stop carrying on like idiots?" Pepper demanded in mild frustration. The truth was the easy bickering between the two made her feel a little better, that Tony really was alright, but she would still feel better with Tony safely tucked up in bed.

"Fine," said Happy, "I'll just carry the idiot instead."

Tony glared at him. "You're fired."

"Easy come, easy go," said Happy philosophically.

Pepper looked over at Thor and Bruce. "Are you both alright?"

"Thank you for your concern, Pepper Potts," said Thor with a little inclination of his head, "but I was unharmed during our encounter with the flying creatures."

"Bruce?"

"I'm fine, Pep," said Bruce but then gave Tony a pointed look. "Just so you know, I'm going to wait until you feel better tomorrow and then I'm going to be kicking your ass for pushing me out of that plane."

"It's a date," said Tony cheerily from over Happy's shoulder, "shall I just dress smart casual or do I need to break out the tux?"

"Just wear something that blood comes out of easily," said Bruce menacingly.

"Latex it is," said Tony breezily. "Boy, it's been awhile since I've been on that kind of date."

Pepper shook her head and followed them all as everyone piled into the elevator. "God give me the strength," she muttered under her breath.

Today had been a long day and it wasn't over yet...


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Pepper walked out from the bathroom with a warm washer in her hand and sat on the bed where Tony was propped up. She started to dab at couple of cuts on Tony's face very carefully. "Why is Bruce mad at you?"

"Push him out of one little plane and suddenly it's the end of the world," said Tony carelessly. "He'll calm down."

"Tony," said Pepper in exasperation, "why do you do these things?"

"It was for the greater good," he protested. A warm smile touched Tony's lips as he watched her carefully wipe away at his injuries. "I really do think you've gotten more beautiful since this morning."

"That's all the blood pooling in your head talking," said Pepper wryly. "I've been up almost twenty-four hours and must look a wreck."

Tony slipped his arms around her. "My blood is currently pooling somewhere a little more south of the border," said Tony cheekily. "And you look perfect." He stroked her back. "If we're going to play doctors and nurses, I say we do it properly. You grab the stethoscope and nurses outfit and we'll flip for who gets to wear which one."

Pepper fought back a smile and tried to give him a look of censure. "We're not having sex, Tony, you're in no condition to be fooling around."

He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. "I say we put that statement to the test."

"You nearly died today." Pepper couldn't prevent the wobble in her voice, even though she tried.

Tony waved a dismissive hand at her. "No one ever died from hanging upside down." He looked thoughtful suddenly. "Have they?"

"You hang upside down for too long and your heart can explode," said Pepper unevenly.

Tony was once again dismissive. "There you go then." He tapped on the metal disk in his chest. "If my heart is ever going to go, it'll because the arc reactor fails, not because of a little old blood pooling."

Pepper gave him a look of horror. "Is that likely to happen, your arc reactor failing?"

Tony must have suddenly realised what he said and tried to back track. "Ah, no."

"Then why say it?" asked Pepper in agitation, not believing him.

Tony gave her a too big smile. "Oh, you know me, I always like to fill uncomfortable silences with any old chatter."

Pepper's brow furrowed. "We weren't having an uncomfortable silence and in what way telling me that the thing keeping you alive might suddenly break at any minute meant to be casual conversation material?"

"Do you know what your problem is, Pepper, you listen to everything I say. No good can come of that and the arc reactor isn't on the verge of failing, all my maths tells me it'll outlast me by a couple of millennia and let's be honest, I'm more likely to be killed in a battle then an arc reactor malfunction."

Pepper made a distressed sound. "I hate it when you try and reassure me, Tony."

Tony pulled a face. "I'm not good at it, am I?"

"Not even a little bit," said Pepper tightly.

"I should work on that."

She gave him a wry smile. "I won't hold my breath." Pepper stood up and return the washer to the bathroom and paused in front of the mirror. She leaned closer in to look at her reflection. There were pale grey circles under her eyes and the beginning of bags from being awake for so long and a crease between her eyebrows where she'd been frowning with worry. Pepper rubbed at the crease with her finger and sighed. "My Iron Man wrinkle," she murmured to herself, knowing it was only going to keep on growing but this was the life she'd chosen and Pepper knew she was never going to regret that choice.

"Are you coming back out?" Tony called to her.

Pepper took a deep breath and walked back out of the bathroom into the bedroom and smiled at him. "I don't think it's safe for you to have a shower tonight. If you fall over I don't know if I can get you back up."

Tony was looking at her intently. "Are you okay, Pep?"

She kept the smile on the face. There was no point rehashing her worry over his safety. They'd said all that could be said on the matter and now Pepper just had to deal. "Of course I'm alright. You're home, safe and sound and that's all that matters."

"You look sad."

"I look tired," she corrected him. Pepper walked around to Tony's side of the bed and sat down again, undoing the laces on his shoes. "I don't think Fury was kidding about being on time for that meeting tomorrow. We should both get some sleep before that."

"Fury doesn't mind me being late for things," said Tony blithely. "The man enjoys my whimsy."

Pepper took off Tony's shoe. "No, he doesn't."

Tony's brow wrinkled. "He really doesn't, does he? I don't get it, I'm so adorable when I do it too."

Pepper gave a little laugh at Tony's seemingly boundless self-assurance. Iron Man may have given her the worry crease between her eyes, but Tony had given her the laughter lines on her face and Pepper couldn't help but feel it was a fair trade. "I guess not everyone enjoys a whimsical Tony Stark."

Tony was watching her closely again. "You do though, right?"

"Depends on your timing," she said truthfully.

"Another thing to work on," Tony noted.

Pepper shook her head. "You don't have to change who you are on my account, Tony. I accept you just how you are." She removed his other shoe.

Tony's eyes narrowed as he suddenly seemed to be in a reflective mood. "But there must be some things you'd change about me if you could?"

"Nothing that is a game changer and besides, if I start changing you, then you'll end up not being the man I feel in love with." She half-smiled. "It's a slippery slope." Now it was Pepper's turn to be curious. "Is there anything you'd change about me?"

"Well, obviously I wish you were more physically repellent to other men," said Tony casually. "That would help me out a lot. Plus, I wouldn't mind if you were wrong more often. It'd be nice to go into an argument knowing I at least had a fighting chance."

"You win your share of arguments," said Pepper wryly. "So don't try that one on, mister."

"Name one," Tony insisted.

Pepper didn't hesitate. "I let you keep the tracking device you planted in my butt."

"But we had to have a big argument about it first," Tony reminded her.

"But you still won and that counts." Pepper gave him a no nonsense look. "Are you telling me you'd prefer it if I just agreed with everything you said and did?"

Tony gave her his best puppy dog look. "Would that be such a chore?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "You'd be bored with me inside a week and I'd probably smother you in your sleep with your own pillow in two days."

His lips quirked. "True."

Pepper took in his jeans and t-shirt. "Do you need me to take your clothes off?"

The salacious smile was back on his lips. "There will never be a time where I stop you from getting me naked, Pepper Potts."

Pepper shook her head and laughed. "Stop it."

"Hey, you're the one who's got designs on my body," Tony said teasingly. He cast a hopeful look her way. "Don't you?"

"I do, just not tonight," she said firmly. "You need rest more than you need sex."

"Can we get a second opinion on that?"

"No."

Tony pouted. "Spoil sport."

"One of us has to be the sensible one and I think history has shown it's not going to be you. I think you're fine to take your own clothes off."

Tony's eyes twinkled. "Don't trust yourself, Potts? I get it, I'm hard to resist and you're only human after all."

Pepper looked at Tony's teasing countenance and was just flooded with love for this man. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a heartfelt kiss. Tony was momentarily surprised but quickly returned the caress, hand going to the back of her head to deepen the kiss. Pepper lingered in the luxury of Tony's kisses before drawing back to stare directly into his eyes. "I love you, Tony Stark, and I'm so happy you're in my life."

"Even after a day like today?" he asked her huskily, hand stroking the back of her head.

"Especially after a day like today," she said emotionally.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," said Tony quietly. "You know that, right?"

Pepper nodded slowly, a small smile playing around her lips. "I'll remind you of that when we have our next argument."

Tony's expression was suddenly serious. "You don't have to remind me, Pepper, it's written into the very core of my being. You're my whole world."

Pepper felt her eyes prick with unshed tears at Tony's sweet words. She knew it wasn't quite true, that Tony's world was far bigger than what they shared, but what was important to her was that he wanted it to be true. It was a intoxicating fantasy which did away with the demands and risks of the rest of their lives and Pepper could see in Tony's eyes how badly he wanted it to be true, just like she did. "And you're mine," she said tremulously.

Tony pulled her into his arms and held her close as Pepper rested her head on his chest, the glow of the arc reactor illuminating one side of her face. Tony rested his cheek on the top of her head and Pepper could feel the vibration of his voice as he spoke. "Let's never leave this bed again. It'll just be you and me in here forever."

Pepper gave a soft laugh. "Like John Lennon and Yoko Ono, you mean?"

"Exactly," said Tony happily. "I'll be Yoko and you be John, wait, which one of them had the beard?"

"Depends who you ask," said Pepper wryly.

She felt Tony's rumbling amusement against her cheek. "I seem to recall they were both naked at the time." His hands began to roam.

"You're relentless," she said in resignation and grabbed his hand to stop its voyage of discovery.

"I've had Steve Rogers rubbing his bits against me for the last seven hours," Tony pleaded his case. "I need something to replace the memory in my mind." His hands broke free and started to wander again.

"It seems to me what happened with you and Steve was Karma," Pepper noted as she tried to grab his hand again.

Tony pulled back and looked down at her in surprise. "What does that mean?"

"It means I heard about you picking a fight with Steve earlier today over me," she said disapprovingly.

Tony opened his mouth and looked like he was about to deny it but then changed his mind. "Who told you?"

"That's not important."

"Was it Thor?" Tony grimaced when he must have seen his answer on her face. "Damn, I've got to start teaching that guy how to lie or at the very least, omit." He looked at her uncertainly. "Are you mad?"

"I am upset but we'll talk about it tomorrow, when you're recovered properly."

Tony pulled a face. "Boy, my dance card is filling up quick for tomorrow, you, Fury, Bruce. I'm one popular girl."

Pepper bit down on her bottom lip. "You know you have nothing to worry about with Steve and I, right?"

Tony sighed. "It wasn't just about you, Pep. I mean, that's how it started, but we kind of needed to clear the air for awhile now."

"And have you?"

"We've reached an understanding."

"Does that understanding mean you're going to let go of this ridiculous jealousy?"

Tony hesitated. "I'll try," he said at last.

"Tony," she groaned.

"It's just that you like the guy."

"So?" she said in exasperation.

Tony's face had a sudden boyish vulnerability to it. "So, I don't want you to like anyone more than me."

Pepper found Tony's honesty to be surprisingly endearing. She smiled at him, face softening with love. "Not for as long as I live," she promised him huskily.

Tony's face lit up. "Can you remember _that_ the next time we fight?"

Pepper put her arms around Tony's waist and snuggled into his warmth. "I always do," she said simply as he hugged her back. "I always do."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N****: Phew, finally got this chapter done. Work has been kicking my butt big time of late. Never mind, this chapter is extra long, so I hope that makes up for it. **

**This is a talky chapter, everyone sitting around and talking and you know how I love my dialogue which is why this chapter is so long, I do get carried away. LOL I just want to try and do justice to all these fantastic characters and have something in there for all the fans of the different characters. I know you all have your faves. ;) **

**This chapter eventually gets around to progressing the story (ever so slightly) but mostly it's a chance for me to indulge myself in my love of wise cracks. LOL **

**Hope you have fun some fun with it too... ;) **

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Nick Fury stood over the Avengers team as he finished his debrief on the mission and the information they had so far on Noble Maniatis. "Are there any questions?"

Tony stuck up his hand from where he was lounging on the sofa in the media room. "How did you lose your eye?" he asked with great interest.

Fury's expression didn't change. "Does anyone have any questions about the metal insect attacks?" he clarified dourly.

Tony wasn't put off by the other man's look of warning. "Was it in a training mishap where you were trying to teach gibbons how to use sling shots or spear guns or something?" asked an intrigued Tony. "I'm really hoping it was, because that just makes you so more interesting to me if that were true." He stuck up his hand again and looked even more engrossed. "Another question, did you lose the hair and the eye at the same time, because if you did, I'm going to have to revise my gibbon theory?"

Fury looked like a mother who had been stuck inside with the kids all day on a rainy day. He blew out a long-suffering breath. "Anyone else, someone who can stay on task for more than two minutes at a time?"

Steve folded his arms in front of his broad chest. "Have we got anything from the bug Natasha planted in Hammer's penthouse?"

"Teacher's pet," Tony coughed into his hand.

"Bite me," said Steve without even looking his way.

Tony gave him an impressed look. "Hey, look who's joined the 21st century with his insults. Our little boy is growing up. Next thing you know you'll be telling me you don't give a flying fuc-"

"Mr. Stark," said Fury sharply, "are we boring you?"

Tony pulled a regretful face. "A little bit, but I didn't want to mention it, that'd be rude."

Bruce shook his head and leaned back into the sofa next to Tony. "Remind me again why we rescued this guy instead of leaving him hanging in that mountain range?"

"Because you'd be lost without me, B," said Tony confidently.

"You pushed me out of a plane," said Bruce in annoyance.

"Are you still on that?" asked Tony in disbelief. "That was hours ago and besides, you're remembering it wrong, you slipped and I went to try and save you, there was no pushing." He patted Bruce's arm comfortingly. "You've just gotten confused with the transforming into the snarling rage monster is all. Don't worry about thanking me, that's what friends do for each other."

Bruce didn't seem to be buying what Tony was selling. "Don't touch me." He batted away Tony's hand from his arm.

Clint arched an eyebrow. "If you push friends out of planes, you must be pretty tough on your enemies, Stark," he noted laconically.

"Let's hope you never have to find out, Hawkeye," returned Tony easily.

Clint didn't look intimidated. "Take away that suit, Stark, and what are you?"

Thor raised his hand and looked eager to be able to participate in the conversation. "I know the answer to thy question, archer – genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," he recited proudly.

Tony's lips twitched as the other man repeated the come back Tony had shot at Steve when he'd asked the same question, not too long ago. "Just so you know, you're my new favourite person, Thor."

"Don't let him get you near any tall buildings or planes in that case, Thor," Bruce advised him dourly. "Favourite people of Tony's tend to end up plummeting to earth."

"Thank you for your concern, Bruce Banner," said Thor, seeming to take him seriously, "but I can fly. I have no need to fear Tony Stark's friendship."

"But you can't fly without the hammer, right?" noted Clint. "What do you do then?"

"Mjölnir is always with me," said Thor simply.

"The hammer has a name?" asked Clint in surprise.

"That's so it'll come when it's called," Tony wise-cracked.

Thor shook his head. "That is not how it works, Tony Stark. My hammer is bound to my will."

Tony turned in his seat and directed his attention to Thor now. "And the hammer goes everywhere with you, right? Does that include the crapper?"

Thor looked confused by his choice of words. "What is this crapper you speak of?"

Steve brightened. "I know this one," he said excitedly, "it's another word for the bathroom, you know, the toilet." Steve looked a little embarrassed as he realised he'd been a little too excited to share the information. He cleared his throat as everyone looked at him. "Well, it is," he said defensively.

Bruce grimaced. "Do we really need to know this kind of information about each other? Can't we keep at least a thin veil of mystery between us?"

"You're a scientist," Tony reminded him. "You should be curious about these kinds of things, enquiring minds and all of that."

"The day I'm interested in another man's toiletry habits I'll gladly let you push me out of a plane," said Bruce flatly.

"Nothing of use so far."

Tony actually started at the sound of Natasha's voice coming from the corner where she was standing by the window. "Whoa, forgot you were even there, Agent Romanoff, you've been so quiet."

"I wish I could return the compliment," she said coolly. "I've never met someone who could talk so much and say nothing." Natasha looked over at Steve before Tony could retaliate. "In answer to your question from earlier, Captain America, we haven't gotten anything of use from the bugging of Hammer's penthouse. He just seems to play a lot of music and dance."

"Dance?" repeated Steve.

Clint grimaced. "There is the sound of a lot of puffing and panting and he's alone, so best case scenario he's dancing." He pulled a face. "I _need_ to think I'm listening to the guy dance," Clint finished off determinedly.

"Look," said Tony impatiently, "we all know Hammer is involved with this. I say we just pick the guy up and let the Hulk pound him into the ground until he confesses."

"We're not vigilantes, Stark," said Steve disapprovingly.

"Ah, yeah, we are, Frost Bite," Tony shot back. "You look up the word vigilante in the dictionary and-"

"There is a picture of us," finished off Bruce. "We get it."

"Actually, dictionaries are usually just made up of words, B," Tony corrected him, "but the day they put a picture one out, you bet they'll be calling us in for a group shot." He looked around at them all. "You're all listening to the news, you know that there is a growing section of the powers that be and media where vigilantes is the kindest word they use to describe us. I say if we're going to get the bad press, we should at least live up to the names. What's the point of not being answerable to anyone if we don't step outside the box now and then?" Tony knew Hammer was working with Maniatis. This was his hallmark, attaching himself to someone else's genius and going along for a free ride. Hammer had done it with Ivan Vanko and now he was doing it with Noble Maniatis, Tony would bet every dollar he had on it.

"It doesn't matter what the press say we are, it matters what we know we are," Steve argued. "The Avengers have to stand for something."

"And why can't that something be kicking Hammer's ass?" Tony reasoned.

Bruce shifted in his seat. "Tony, we all know your feelings about Justin Hammer and no one here is arguing his case, but you've got to remember, the guy is crazy, not stupid. We go in there guns blazing it feels like we'll be playing into his hands."

"You're wrong," said Tony in annoyance, "Justin Hammer is both crazy and stupid and those are two things you don't want in an enemy. It means they're hard to keep one step ahead of because everything they do makes no sense."

"We're not bringing in Hammer," Fury informed him, "not until we get more information on his connection to Maniatis."

"You heard my Hulk pulverising plan, right?" asked Tony in frustration. "I feel like that's a plan with no drawbacks."

"Except for the little fact that the Hulk will probably kill him inside of a minute," offered up Bruce dryly.

Tony shrugged. "I stand by my no drawbacks statement."

"Hammer is off the menu until we get more intel," said Fury firmly. "We need him to lead us to Maniatis if they are working together."

Tony threw up his hands in disgust. "I see no point to these meetings if you're all not going to do what I say without question."

"Is this the bit where you take your bat and ball and go home?" Steve ribbed him.

"I am home," Tony countered. "If anything I'd throw the lot of you out on the street but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to wait until I'm proven right about this and then rub it all in your faces for the rest of your lives."

Bruce kept a straight face. "In many ways I think you're the most noble of all of us, Tony Stark."

"If you're done with you hissy fit, Stark," said Fury, attempting to get the meeting back on track, "would you care to tell us all what you've discovered so far about the metal you retrieved from the mantises?"

"It's very cool."

"That was worth the wait," said Clint mockingly.

Tony wasn't fazed. "The metal is embedded with a kind of nanotechnology I've never seen before. From what I can work out, the nanobots establish a kind of metal memory to the material. So, the person can program it the metal to be something, like a part on a praying mantises wing for example. With the nanobots embedded in the metal, they respond to a certain frequency of sound and will reform again and again as long as that signal is being broadcast."

"Which we've already seen," agreed Steve. "Kill the signal, kill the bugs."

"Yes and no," said Tony. "Sure, the creature may dismantle, but the nanotechnology is still very much in play. I haven't worked out how this Maniatis, or whoever, is managing to manipulate the nanobots to the level he is. I can't seem to get the retrieved metal pieces out of their static state and until I do that, we won't know all the capabilities of this technology. I feel like I'm only scratching the surface of what this nanotech is capable of and the trouble is, our guy has had longer to figure this out than me."

Natasha looked almost amused. "Is that an admission of inadequacy, Stark?"

"Hardly," Tony snorted. "I just wanted you all to know that so you'll be even more impressed when I do figure it out."

"No one could be as impressed with you as you are," Natasha noted dryly. "So, is that it? Is that all you've found out?"

"So far. I've got a few theories I'm working on."

"Care to share them?" Fury prompted him.

"I'll let you know when I've got something." Tony leaned back in the sofa, stretching his arms along the back of it and sticking his feet out on the coffee table in front of him. "I have to release my magnificence in small bursts, otherwise people get overcome with just how generally awesome I am."

"You're pretty liberal with releasing that ego anytime though I notice," said Bruce wryly.

"I'm like the sun, B-"

"Cancer inducing?" Steve chimed in.

He was treated with a glare from Tony for that. "No, I've got to shine, day or night, I'm a radiating ball of eternal light."

Clint rolled his eyes. "Well, I've had just about enough of your radiating balls as I can take for one day, Stark." He looked over at Fury. "Agent Romanoff and I will continue our Hammer surveillance unless you need us for something else, sir?"

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Tony quipped. "You two run along now. I'd hate to think we're standing in the way of young love."

Neither Clint nor Natasha looked overly amused.

"You're not running this meeting, Stark," said Fury sharply. "I am."

"Obviously," said Tony. "If I was running this show we'd all be half-drunk by now and heading out to a fantastic sushi bar I know."

"Go ahead with your surveillance," Fury instructed Natasha and Clint while ignoring Tony. "Report back to me as soon as you discover anything."

They both nodded and replied as one. "Sir."

Fury looked at Tony. "And you'll contact me as soon as you make any kind of progress with this metal alloy, Stark. We need to know our enemy here."

"You're on my speed dial between Howard Hughes and Gary Glitter," agreed Tony casually.

Bruce arched an eyebrow at him. "Howard Hughes is dead. That must be a hell of a deal AT&T has got going for you."

Tony grinned. "It's not bad."

"I need some air," said Fury, looking like he had enough. He inclined his head at Natasha and Clint. "Agents, need a ride?" The two followed him out and then it was just Tony, Thor, Bruce and Steve left in the room.

Tony pursed his lips and looked reflective. "I think that went well, don't you think that went well?"

"I think you're lucky that none of them hauled off and shot you halfway through the meeting," Bruce informed him. "You've brought being annoying to an Olympic level."

Tony wasn't bothered by the criticism. "I get bored easily," he admitted. "I have to make my own entertainment."

Steve walked around to the front of the sofa. "Well, if we're done entertaining you, Mr. Attention Span of a Gnat, I've got somewhere I have to be."

Tony's nose wrinkled. "You do realise my put down names for you are way better than your ones for me, right? That one was kind of tragic."

Steve scowled. "But it was accurate."

"The trick is to make it accurate _and_ amusing," Tony advised him. "Watch and learn, Rip Van Stinks At Thinking Up Names."

Steve's scowl deepened and Tony gave him a sympathetic look. "I know, way better, right?" He grinned up at him. "You keep working on it though, even the slowest train has to pull into the station eventually."

"And look at that, ladies and gentlemen," Bruce commented, "Tony Stark has taken out both the gold and the silver in being annoying at these Olympics, an unprecedented occurrence."

Thor shook his head and sighed. "I do not understand any of what you are all saying. The words come of thy lips, but they have no meaning. It as though I sit in a roomful of baboons and listen to them chatter."

Bruce pulled a face. "That's not an inaccurate description, Thor."

Thor looked over at Steve, clearly wanting to steer things onto a track he understood. "What urgent mission has your attention, Steve Rogers, and do you need your brother's in arms to rally behind you?"

Steve looked a little embarrassed again. "Ah, not really, Thor. Thanks for the offer though."

Tony's curiosity was piqued as he sat up straighter on the sofa. "And what are you up to that you're being so furtive about, Secret Squirrel?"

Steve looked vaguely harassed. "It's not a secret. I'm just going to have another attempt at finding Miss O'Brien."

"The human shield," said Tony with an approving nod. "Colour me intrigued."

"I don't want to colour you anything and don't call her that," said Steve tersely. "I need to know she's doing okay, so I'm going to find her."

"Very noble, Steve Rogers," Thor applauded him. "Are you sure you do not wish our aid?"

Steve gave a sideways look at Tony. "No, I got this, thanks, Thor. I'll find her. I don't care if it takes me weeks or even months."

Suddenly Jarvis' voice interrupted them. "Sir, we have a visitor who wishes to enter the tower."

"Who is it?" Tony quizzed him.

"A Miss O'Brien," replied Jarvis evenly. "She wishes to speak to Mr. Rogers."

Steve looked taken aback and even a little nervous at this surprising and timely news.

Bruce gave Steve an impressed look. "Not for nothing, man, but you're really good at this finding people caper. You should think about opening your own business."

Tony jumped up. "You know what this is?"

"None of your business?" offered up Steve hopefully.

Tony gave a loud laugh. "No, this is kismet."

"I don't know what that is, but unless it's French for none of your business, I want you to stay out of this," said Steve firmly. "I'm going down to meet with Miss O'Brien and you're all going to keep your noses out of this."

"Absolutely."

"Of course, Steve, we understand."

"As you wish, Steve Rogers."

Steve nodded and straightened his plaid shirt. "Okay then, I'll be back shortly. Jarvis, can you tell Miss O'Brien I'm on my way down, please?"

"Very good, sir."

The three of them watched Steve march determinedly off to the elevators and Tony waited until the doors had closed before addressing the others. "I was totally lying just then. Who wants to come with me to see Captain Clean Cut screw this up?"

"I'm in," said Bruce without hesitation.

Thor looked torn. "That would not be right, Tony Stark."

"But it'd be fun," Tony countered, already herding them towards the elevator. "Sometimes you have to go with fun over being noble, Thor. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you'll fit into living in this realm."

Thor was persuaded and they all stepped into the elevator, curious to see this Miss O'Brien themselves.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N****: Hey everyone, thanks for all of your great comments. I'm so happy to know you're still enjoying the story. **

**Now, a couple of people have mentioned putting Maria Hill in this story but unfortunately I'm not really familiar with the character (didn't read the comic books) and after googling her to find out who she was, realised she didn't make much of an impression on me in the Avengers. LOL I'm sure she's kick ass, but I don't have a feel for her at all, so rather than miss the mark completely, I'm just going to let sleeping dogs lie on that one. Plus, I have other plans for Steve. ;) I'm taking things in another direction. **

**Okay, so let's meet one of the s/l's I have got planned for Steve, the elusive Miss O'Brien. **

**Toodles. :D **

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Bruce pulled on Tony's arm as he went to go around the corner and see the intriguing Miss O'Brien for himself. "We need to wait back here. We don't need to embarrass Steve by blundering in and overwhelming the poor woman."

Tony snorted. "The guy wears blue spandex and a hat with wings on it, if he can handle that, he can handle us saying hi to a woman he's met once."

Thor's blond brow furrowed. "What's wrong with hats with wings on them?" he wanted to know.

Tony waved a dismissive hand at him. "You rock the look, Thor, it sets the cape off nicely, don't worry about it."

"Just stay here," said Bruce determinedly.

Tony pouted but did as he was told for once. He sneaked a peek around the corner. "I can't see anyone, I thought they were meeting in the foyer?" Tony looked up. "Jarvis," he hissed, "where's this Miss O'Brien?"

"In the foyer, sir."

"We're in the foyer, we can't see her," he argued.

"She's sitting down, on the other side of the counter."

Tony strained to see around the large reception counter in the foyer of the Avenger's tower and grimaced. "I can't see and where is Captain Come Lately?"

"Stage left, sir."

Just then Steve stepped off the elevator and immediately walked over to where the young woman must have been sitting.

Bruce smiled. "He's changed his shirt. That's adorable."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "He did? Just how much plaid does this man own?" He shook his head. "I have to take him shopping."

"I like his clothes," Thor noted as they all crowded around to attempt an unobtrusive look at Steve's Miss O'Brien. "Tis jaunty."

Tony tried not to laugh. "I don't think that's the look he was going for. I think Cap is more into lumberjack chic."

"At least he dresses his age," Bruce noted as he gave Tony's def Leppard t-shirt a pointed look.

"Well, at least I don't dress like someone's grandfather," Tony shot back as he took in Bruce's rumpled pants and shirt.

"I go through a lot of clothes," said Bruce flatly. "There is no sense spending money on pants that are going to end up being the other guy's thong at any given moment."

Tony winced. "I didn't need that mental imagery."

"I see her," said Thor excitedly. He nodded approvingly. "The maiden is most comely."

Tony craned his neck to see as Miss O'Brien stepped into view. Thor was right, she was most comely. The blonde woman was quite short, barely five foot four by Tony's estimate and she had shoulder-length blonde hair which was tied back in a loose pony tail. She was wearing a pale green summer dress covered in small flowers with a darker green short-sleeved knitted cardigan over the top of it. The woman looked like she'd just stepped out of a country style magazine for the happy homemaker and Tony had to admit, it suited her.

The woman gave a nervous smile as Steve came to stand in front of her. "Hello," she said unevenly.

"Hi," Steve returned quickly.

There was a brief awkward silence.

"I hope you don't mind me coming here-"

"I've been trying to find you-"

Miss O'Brien stopped talking. "Oh, sorry, go on."

"No, no," said Steve hastily, "ladies first."

Miss O'Brien looked a little unsure. "I was just going to say I hope you don't mind me coming here to see you, Captain America?"

"Steve," he said, "my name is Steve." Steve paused. "Ah, Rogers, Steve Rogers."

She gave a shy little smile. "I know your name."

Steve looked like he blushed a little from where Tony was standing. "Oh sure, I guess you do."

"I'm Olivia," she volunteered and then bit her bottom lip. "If you were wondering."

"I was," said Steve immediately. "That's why I couldn't find you to check up on you after all that happened. I didn't know your first name but now I do, it's Olivia." His voice trailed off as he obviously tried to think of what to say next. "It's a pretty name."

"It's my second name," she admitted.

"What's your first name?" he asked curiously.

Olivia looked hesitant to share. "Ophelia."

"Your name is Ophelia Olivia O'Brien?" asked Steve in surprise.

She wrinkled her pretty little nose. "My parents really liked the letter 'O'."

"Well, sure," agreed Steve readily, "who doesn't love the letter 'O', I mean, there are oranges and oxygen, ahh, orang-utans, they're all great."

"Is he flirting?" asked Tony in consternation from their hiding place. "Is this how they flirted in the 1940's?" He shook his head in disbelief. "If it is, how did anyone ever get laid?"

"He's just a bit rusty," Bruce defended him. "He'll warm up."

"He'd have to catch fire to make it to tepid," Tony noted.

"What is this arangtan?" asked Thor. "Tis food?"

"Sure, if you're really hungry and can outrun Green Peace," said Tony in amusement.

"It's orang-utan and it's an animal," Bruce supplied. "An orange, hairy, monkey with a bald spot."

Thor looked intrigued. "And this creature is used to woo women in this realm?"

"Absolutely," said Tony straight-faced. "How do you think I got Pepper to fall in love with me?"

Bruce shot Tony a warning look for teasing Thor but then Olivia was talking.

"I really like orang-utans too," she helped him out. "I often take my kids to see them at the zoo."

Steve looked a little crestfallen. "You have children?"

"My class," she clarified, "I take my class to the zoo. I don't have any children."

"Do you want children?"

"What's he doing?" asked Tony in dismay. "We just went from sitting in a parked car to doing 200 miles an hour. You don't talk kids to a woman you've just met."

Olivia looked a little taken aback but she recovered quickly. "Oh sure, one day, when I meet the right guy, of course."

"Of course," said Steve, "me too." He hesitated and obviously reconsidered that statement. "I mean, with the right girl, not the right guy, obviously." Steve trailed off again and looked like he didn't know what to say next.

"Oh God, this is like watching someone pull a zeppelin out a cat's ass," Tony winced. "Someone make it stop."

"I do not know what a zeppelin is," said Thor with a sad shake of his head, "but tis true that Steve Rogers seems more apt at repelling creatures of menace then conversing with pretty maidens."

"It's okay, Steve," Bruce coached him even though the other man couldn't hear him, "you're doing fine, just circle your wagons around and get back on topic. Don't panic."

"I think panicking is the only option open to him right now," said Tony. "I know I'm feeling pretty anxious and I'm just watching."

Steve cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious. "I came looking for you to see how you were doing, Olivia." He looked her over intently. "Are you alright? How is your side? Should you be up and around so soon? Do you need to sit down?" Steve shot the questions at Olivia like he was cross-examining her on the witness stand.

Olivia smiled. "I'm fine, it really was only a flesh wound. It didn't even need stitching. They dressed it for me at the hospital and sent me home. I'm back at work now."

Steve frowned. "So soon? Don't you think you should be taking it easy for a little longer? I mean, you could get an infection, or anything."

"Steve reassures women like you do, Tony," Bruce noted, "badly."

"I'm better than that," Tony protested.

"No, you're not," Bruce and Thor answered together.

Steve was talking again. "I'm so sorry I let you get hurt, Olivia. I can't tell you how badly I feel about that."

"You don't need to be sorry," she said, blushing and looking embarrassed. "I just did what anyone would do if they had the chance. We're all just so grateful to you and the Avengers for all that you do for us. We know you risk your lives for us every day and I just wanted to return the favour."

"That's not your job," said Steve unhappily.

"If people only ever did what they were paid to do, then this world wouldn't have much to recommend it."

"Okay," said Tony approvingly, "I'm sold, she really is adorable."

Steve and Olivia were smiling at each other now and then Olivia blinked. "Oh, I almost forgot, the reason why I came here." She started to dig through the large bag she had slung over her shoulder. "The children in my class wanted to invite you to something they've been working on." Olivia kept hunting around in her voluminous bag. "I know you're really busy and I've told them that you probably won't be able to come and they understand, so don't feel like you have to say yes-"

Olivia was talking fast, clearly nervous as she finally managed to find what she was looking for. "Here it is," she said triumphantly as Steve took a step closer to see what it was. As Olivia dragged the item from everything else that was in her bag, a pen must have gotten caught and it flicked out of her bag and directly into Steve's eye. He took a surprised step back and clutched at his eye from the unexpected assault. Olivia looked mortified. "Oh my, I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

Steve took his hand away from his eye and blinked rapidly. "I'm fine," he said quickly, "no harm done."

She grimaced. "I'm sorry, I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes."

"No," said Steve, "it was my fault. I shouldn't have been standing so close."

Olivia still looked embarrassed as she bent down to pick up the pen. Unfortunately, Steve had the same idea at the exact same moment and their heads collided, making a dull hollow sound. They both staggered back now, Olivia clutching her forehead and Steve his nose. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," squeaked Olivia as she looked at him in complete horror.

"No," said Steve hastily, rubbing his nose, "that was my fault again. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," said Olivia unevenly.

He took his hand away from his nose and Olivia gave a gasp of distress. "You're bleeding."

Steve looked at his hand. "It's nothing."

"Sit down," she instructed him and lead Steve to a chair by the reception desk. She peeked over the desk and saw a water cooler. Olivia pulled out a handkerchief. "I'll just wet this, you need a cold compress."

"Really," Steve protested, "there is no need-"

Olivia wasn't to be deterred though, she pulled open the little swinging door which partitioned off the reception desk and hurried through. Unfortunately the door swung too hard on its hinge and managed to swing back and hit Steve in the kneecaps, making him double over and grunt in pain.

"Oh my God," said Bruce in disbelief, "I think Cap has taken less brutal beatings at the hands of Hydra Agents."

Tony meanwhile was trying so hard not to laugh he was crying. "I have a new favourite person," he said gleefully. "Sorry, Thor."

"I shall do my best to temper my disappointment, Tony Stark," said Thor in amusement. He looked confused. "Why does the maiden attempt to injure Steve Rogers?"

"It was an accident," Bruce replied.

"All of them?" Thor asked sceptically.

Bruce shrugged. "I think she's nervous."

Tony chuckled. "If Miss O'Brien gets anymore nervous, Cap is going to be hospitalised by the end of this."

Olivia was back by Steve's side, oblivious to the swinging door incident. She went to put the wet handkerchief on his nose. "Here you go."

Steve pressed the wet cloth to his nose. "Thanks."

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "I'm so sorry. You must think I'm an idiot."

Steve just smiled and looked up at her. "Do you want to grab a coffee?"

"Wh-what?" she asked in surprise.

"Would you like to go for a coffee with me?" Steve repeated.

Tony was impressed. "Well, no one ever said the guy wasn't brave. Stupid maybe, but definitely brave."

A big smile lit up Olivia's face, making her look particularly beautiful. "I'd love to."

Steve stood up and pocketed her handkerchief and made a sweeping hand gesture to the rotating door at the front of the foyer. "Shall we?"

Olivia gave a happy little nod and started to walk towards the rotating door with Steve falling in step beside her, impressively managing not to limp as he did.

"Fifty dollars says she's knocked him unconscious before they make it to the curb," said Tony as they watched the couple leave.

"You should be rooting for them," Bruce noted, "after all, aren't you worried about Steve being interested in Pepper?"

Tony snorted. "He can be interested all he likes, but what could Pepper possibly see in Frosty?"

"You're right, he's only handsome, charming, polite and thoughtful. I hear women hate that in a man."

Tony gave him a sideways look. "Sounds to me like you want to date him, B."

"I'm just saying I wouldn't be so complacent when it comes to Pepper."

"I'm not complacent," said Tony moodily.

"The maiden did not say what she wanted from Steve Rogers," noted Thor.

Bruce shrugged. "We can ask him when he gets back, and no, Tony, we're not going to follow them."

"Party pooper."

Thor pulled a face and looked around. "What vile odour assaults my senses?"

Tony instantly smelt it as well. It smelt like burning circuitry.

Bruce had an opinion. "I think it's Tony releasing his magnificence again," he said straight-faced.

Tony ignored him. "Jarvis, what is that?"

"What that are you referring to, sir?"

"That smell."

"I don't have any olfactory senses," Jarvis reminded him. "I am unable to smell anything."

"It smells like something is burning," said Tony impatiently. "Is something burning?"

"I had an intermittent alarm going off at level four, sector B," relayed Jarvis. "But it stopped."

"Well, something is clearly not right," said Tony. "Bruce and I are going to check it out."

"We are?" asked Bruce in surprise.

"I may need your brain," said Tony. "Or, more accurately, the shoulders your brain is resting on."

"Why don't you just buy yourself a ladder?" asked Bruce in annoyance.

"Why would I when you're standing right there?" Tony reasoned.

Bruce sighed heavily but gave in.

"Do you require my assistance, Tony Stark?" enquired Thor.

"I'm trying to fix something, but the minute I need something broken into a thousand pieces, Thor, you're my go to guy."

Thor conceded his point. "Very well."

Tony and Bruce headed off to investigate and left Thor in the foyer. Thor was just about to head back to his apartment level when another unexpected visitor walked through the rotating doors. Thor turned to face the newcomer and folded his arms in front of his chest, making a menacing sight as he waited for the other person to speak...


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N****: So, seeing as I indulged myself with a lot of fun and games in the last couple of chapters, I thought I'd better put a little more seriousness into proceedings in this chapter, just for a little balance. I'm very conscious that Thor and NaCl don't get as much time as the others, so this chapter is dedicated to fleshing them out more. **

**I'll be curious to know how you think I'm going with them... :) **

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_Thor sat at the table in his apartment and stared at the image on his lap top screen. Jane Foster's beautiful face smiled back at him from her avatar picture on Skype and Thor couldn't help himself from reaching out and tracing her features with one finger. He was assaulted with the memory of the last time he touched Jane. Now he was only touching cold plastic, but when he'd last held Jane in his arms Thor remembered her sweet softness, the gentle fragrance of her skin and the taste of her against his lips. He squeezed his eyes closed, the need for this woman consuming him once again. It wasn't just a physical thing, Thor longed to just hear Jane say his name, to know she was thinking of him as much as he was thinking of her. Tony had been right, this ache wasn't going away, in fact it was getting worse every day, and now Thor really didn't have a choice. He had to contact Jane and they had to talk. _

_Thor's jaw hardened as he fought back nerves he was unaccustomed to dealing with. Before, he would have jumped into any situation without a second thought, careless of any consequences. He'd been the reckless, self-absorbed son of Odin and for a long time, that was how Thor had seen himself. It was only with his exiling to this realm that things had changed for Thor. Midgard had shown Thor who he was and more importantly, who he really wanted to be. He'd understood his responsibility, the burden his birthright brought with it at long last, almost after it was too late. Midgard had been saved but he'd lost Jane in the process. Now that Thor was back on Midgard, his newly found conscience would give him no peace. If his actions in any way brought harm to Jane, Thor wasn't sure how he'd be able to go on, so that meant he should leave her to live out her life in peace. Only he could not put her from his mind and Tony's words haunted him. Thor wanted to do the right thing and feared the right thing for him would not be the same for Jane. _

"_I need a sign," he implored Jane's picture. "Tell me what I should do?" _

_The words were no sooner out of Thor's mouth when a bubble popped up to say Jane Foster was on line. Thor's eyes went wide. "Tis the sign," he murmured. His hand went to move the little arrow over the 'Call' button when there was a knock at the door. Thor hesitated. _

"_Thor, it's me," called out Bruce through the door. "Fury is here for that debrief meeting about Cuba in the media room. We're waiting on you and Tony is already making the vein in Fury's neck throb. It ain't pretty." _

_Thor grimaced and took his hand away from the computer. "I am coming, Bruce Banner," he called back. Thor stood up and headed towards the door with a last glance over his shoulder at Jane's picture on the screen as he vowed to speak to her as soon as the meeting was done. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint shook his head as he put on his arm guard and picked up his bow. "That Tony Stark is some piece of work. I swear the guy could talk under wet concrete."

Natasha gave a little smile, but didn't comment as they finished getting dressed in their Avenger's uniforms.

Clint came to stand beside her, leaning up against the row of lockers. "How did you put up with all of his non-stop talking and the way it always has to be about him? You deserve a medal after that infiltration mission."

Natasha finished checking her gun and holstered it before giving Clint his answer. "Tony likes to talk so much because it muddies the water and you can't see the still waters underneath."

Clint's eyebrow shot up. "Tony Stark has still waters?"

Natasha nodded. "I know it's hard to believe when he's playing the clown, but I saw him when he thought he was dying and there is a lot more going on below the surface then he lets the world see."

Clint inclined his head. "I guess I'm going to have to bow to your vast ability to get a read on people, because I can't see it."

"That's the idea," she noted. "Tony Stark knows how to project an image that has just enough of him to ring true to people but still distract them from the real person underneath."

"So, you've changed your assessment on him not being a good fit for the Avenger's initiative?" Clint quizzed her.

"No," said Natasha said without hesitation, "I stand by my call on that."

"But?"

Natasha looked thoughtful. "Tony Stark isn't a good fit for the Avenger's initiative as it was first envisaged," she said slowly, "but I think that the concept of the Avenger's is changing, and he's a part of that."

"Do you actually think we can be a real team, given enough time?" asked Clint sceptically.

Natasha gave a restrained smile. "I kind of like thinking anything is possible at the moment." Her statement hung between them. She could see Clint was struggling with wanting to talk about her brain tumour. He'd been carefully avoiding the topic and obviously waiting for her to bring it up. Clint had also been careful in not being deferential to her and asking if she was alright every few minutes, which Natasha really appreciated. This was so much for her to deal with and she didn't know if she could handle having to calm his fears as well.

Clint was looking at her intently. "Are we ever going to talk about it?"

"I only told you about it yesterday," she hedged.

Clint made a rueful face. "It feels like a lot longer."

He moved in closer, flicking a quick eye around the locker room to make sure they were alone. "Have you made a decision?" he asked in a low voice.

Natasha could see that her bad news was weighing heavily on the normally wise-cracking archer. "You shouldn't care," she whispered.

He grimaced. "I shouldn't be a Cub's fan, but here we are."

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Did you just compare me to a failing baseball team?"

"They're not failing," he said hotly. "They're just in a bit of a slump."

"For the last one hundred and twenty years?" she teased him.

"It's only been one hundred and three years," said Clint defensively. "And they're due."

"Some might argue they were overdue," replied Natasha, tongue in cheek.

A small smile played around his lips as he leaned in closer. "What can I say, I like long shots, it kind of comes with the bow and arrows."

Clint was so close she could feel the warmth of his body rolling off him and over her. His blue eyes sparkled with cheekiness as he looked back at her and Natasha was struck with how handsome he was, and not for the first time. Emotional entanglements were something she normally avoided like the plague. In her line of work they were just a huge liability but Clint Barton had somehow made it under her defences. Normally Natasha was all about keeping objectivity and summing up situations, but with Clint she felt like she could actually relax and be something more than just a super spy. The thing was, lately, it was more than just relaxation that she was feeling around Clint and that worried her. All she could think was it must be the brain tumour messing with her common sense.

"What's the brain tumour?" asked Clint, suddenly looking serious.

To her horror Natasha realised she must have said the words aloud. She really was losing it. "Nothing," she said hastily and went to brush past him.

Clint's hand came out and grabbed her arm, keeping her there but now they were even closer, practically nose to nose. "I want you to have the operation," he said determinedly.

"That's not your call to make," she said unsteadily, unnerved being this close to him.

"Do I at least get a vote?" he wanted to know.

She blinked. "Why would you?"

"Because we're in this together and I think I should get a vote."

"In what together? The job?"

"The job, each other's lives," said Clint firmly. "We have a stake in each other."

Natasha's brow creased as she tried to work out what he meant by that.

Clint kept his voice low. "You and I, we have secrets, things no one else knows about us. We've chosen lives where we spend most of our time not existing. With you, I exist, you can see me and I can see you and we both need that and I'm not prepared to lose what we have without a fight," he said, his tone almost fierce. "I'm not prepared to lose you without a fight."

They were so close now that the smallest of movements would have them kissing, all it would take is one of them to make the first move. Natasha held her breath, caught in Clint's blue gaze as his eyelids drooped, the air between them fairly crackling with tension as he lowered his head, their lips grazing together for the first time.

"Hawkeye, Black Widow, I have an update on Justin Hammer's status." The smooth tones of Jarvis' manufactured voice filled the tiny space between them and they both jumped, pulling back. Tony had given them a link to Jarvis so that he could keep them updated on Hammer's whereabouts at any time thanks to the tracking device in the other man's body.

Jarvis' timing couldn't have been worse, or better, Natasha couldn't work out which. Her lips were still tingling from the lightest of touches from Clint as she tried to get her heart to stop pounding. "Where is he, Jarvis?" she demanded to know, making her tone all business.

Clint looked to be slower in recovering as he just kept staring at her.

"Heading towards the Avenger's Tower," Jarvis supplied.

Natasha and Clint looked at each other in amazement. Clint's jaw hardened. "I don't like the sound of that."

Natasha gave a short nod. "Neither do I," she said as they both grabbed the rest of their gear and headed towards the shuttle to take them back to New York and the Avenger's Tower.

**A/N****: So congrats to those who guessed JH was walking into the Avenger's Tower, next chapter we find out why. ;) **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N****: Quick note on this one, trying to get it posted before bed time. Got a bit on at the moment. **

**So, here's the chapter, and I'll talk to you at the end... :D**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Tony patted Thor's arm. "I'm trying to fix something, but the minute I need something broken into a thousand pieces, Thor, you're my go to guy."

Thor knew his strengths weren't in technology based areas so he took no offence. "Very well." He watched Bruce and Tony leave to go and deal with the unholy smell coming from the buildings air ducts and considered calling Jane but now Thor was beginning to wonder if he should go and see her in person. He could only hope the words would come more easily if they were standing face to face. Thor considered that option and realised he wanted more than anything to be able to put his arms around Jane again and hold her, knowing that everything would feel right again in his world when it did. He turned around to head for the elevator to organise a way to Switzerland when an unexpected guest strolled through the rotating doors of the Avenger's tower. Thor immediately faced off against the other man and crossed his arms in front of his muscled chest. He knew what an imposing figure he could cut when he wanted to.

Justin Hammer grinned as he walked up to him, hands shoved in his pockets. "Have they got you working bouncer detail, Thor? That's a bit of a come down for the son of a god," he noted cheerily.

Thor didn't know what a bouncer was, but he suspected Hammer was mocking him. He took Tony's teasing good-naturedly because he knew the other man meant no harm and it was simply his way. This Justin Hammer was another thing entirely. "What do you want, little man?" His expression promised pain and suffering if Justin didn't get to the point quickly.

"Okay, touched a nerve, have I?" asked Justin blithely. "Duly noted." His eyes ran over Thor's imposing frame. "I have to ask," he said, eyeing one of Thor's massive biceps, "how do you get those guns? Is there a lot of weight training in Asgard, is that the trick?"

"Our time is well spent in tossing annoying insects into deep crevices," said Thor and gave him a warning look.

Justin grinned. "I'd like to see that one day."

Thor's voice was deep and imposing. "The day may come sooner than you think, mortal."

Justin made a thoughtful face. "You're scarier than the blue tights and red cape might first suggest, Thor."

Thor made an impatient noise and stepped towards Justin who took a couple of hasty step backwards and held up placating hands. "Okay, whoa there, big guy, no need to get physical. I'm just here to offer the Avengers an invitation."

Thor looked down at him coolly. "An invitation?"

"I'm holding a press conference tomorrow at three," said Justin eagerly, "but I sure would like to give the Avengers a very special preview of what I'm going to be announcing."

"And why would the Avengers care for this announcement of yours, Justin Hammer?" Thor demanded to know.

"If they're smart they'll care," said Justin. He grinned up at Thor. "I'm going to reveal my Magnum Opus to the world, my hammer wielding friend, and I want the Avengers to be the first ones to see it, in all of its glory." Justin tapped his watch. "Now then, I've got places to be, but you be sure and tell the others, won't you? Two pm tomorrow at the Statue of Liberty, be there or be square."

Thor only understood about half of what Justin had just said, but he understood enough to know the when of the conversation, just not the why. He just stared impassively at Justin, not making a commitment one way or the other.

Justin nodded as the silence between them grew. "Okay, like I said, things to do, but you pass that message on, Thor. This is going to be a game changer." He winked at Thor and then turned around, heading back out the rotating door and now whistling a jaunty tune.

As soon as Justin was out of sight Thor was marching towards the elevator. "Jarvis," he barked, "take me to Bruce Banner and Tony Stark."

"Very good, master Thor," said Jarvis accommodatingly.

Less than a minute later Thor was striding out of the elevator to where Bruce was standing on a pool table handing tools up to Tony as his legs dangled from the roof, a piece of the panelling sitting on the pool table. "Justin Hammer was just here," he announced.

Suddenly Tony's legs were replaced with his head as he stuck it out to look at Thor. "What? Are you kidding me? Jarvis, why didn't you tell me Hammer was in the building?"

"Hawkeye and Black Widow are undertaking the surveillance of Justin Hammer, sir," pointed out Jarvis. "I alerted them."

"But you need to tell me as well," said an aggrieved Tony.

"You weren't clear in your instructions on that matter, sir," observed Jarvis, "and I thought, seeing as the Black Widow and-"

"Don't think, Jarvis," said Tony in annoyance, "just do what I tell you."

"I'm an artificial intelligence unit," pointed out Jarvis. "If I do not think, sir, I do not exist."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't get all metaphysical on me, just tell me if Hammer comes close to this building or to Pepper, got it?"

"I think so, sir," responded Jarvis cheekily.

"Enough with the smart back talk," said Tony, still clearly annoyed. "Keep it up and it's another overhaul for you."

"Please, no," Bruce pleaded. "The last time you tried to 'fix' Jarvis he told me I had a pretty mouth."

"It is very shapely, sir," Jarvis noted.

Bruce shook his head. "See, disturbing."

"What did he want, Thor?" Tony wanted to know.

"Hammer desires our presence at the Statue of Liberty tomorrow, at two o'clock," recited Thor.

"Why?" Bruce quizzed him.

Thor frowned, less certain of that answer. "I believe he wishes to reveal to us his magnificent octopus."

Tony and Bruce looked at each other in consternation.

Tony arched an eyebrow. "If Justin Hammer even has an octopus, I can guarantee you, it isn't magnificent," he commented dryly.

Bruce frowned. "Are you sure that's what he said, Thor, magnificent octopus?"

Thor hesitated. "I believe so. The man spoke quickly and with much movement, but I believe those to be his words."

"I have no idea what that means," said Bruce slowly. "Do you think we should be worried?"

"I believe it would be in the Avenger's best interest to attend this meeting and see Hammer's magnificent octopus for ourselves, so we know what we are up against," said Thor gravely.

Tony face wrinkled in disgust. "If that guy tries to rub his octopus up against me, magnificent or otherwise, there is going to be some definite ugliness."

"We should tell Fury," said Bruce decisively.

"Let me get my stuff and we'll call him together," said Tony as his head disappeared back inside the ceiling and he could be heard to be scuffling about.

Bruce picked up the ceiling vent and attached it to the hole Tony's head had been and quickly screwed up the edges, sealing off Tony's exit.

Tony came to get out and there was the sound of him hitting against the metal vent. "Ah, B, you seem to have sealed me in here, buddy."

Bruce jumped down from the pool table. "You're remembering it wrong, buddy," he shot back at him sweetly. "You were in danger of falling out of that big, dangerous hole, so I helped you out."

"Okay, I get it, this is your revenge for the plane thing, ha ha, very funny, now let me out," came Tony's voice from the ceiling.

"I'll get right on that," said Bruce as he promptly walked out the door, motioning for Thor to follow him.

Thor walked out with Bruce, the doors sliding close behind them as Tony called out after them. "Okay, guys, enough with the games, let me out now... guys... GUYS!"

Thor looked at Bruce as they walked away. "Are you sure about this, Bruce Banner?"

"Tony built this building," said Bruce confidently. "He'll find a way out, eventually."

Thor smiled. "Your revenge is most cunning, Bruce Banner."

Bruce's lips twitched as they headed towards the comms room to contact Fury. "Yeah, well, I am a genius. Now let's see if we can figure out this octopus conundrum before tomorrow."

Thor frowned. "Do you truly believe this magnificent octopus of Justin Hammer's is something to be concerned about, Bruce Banner?"

Bruce shrugged as they walked along. "It doesn't give me a warm feeling inside thinking about it." He grimaced. "A confused one, maybe. What the hell could a magnificent octopus be?"

"Something more glorious than a regular octopus?" suggested Thor.

"That's still wildly unhelpful, Thor," said Bruce dryly. "What, Hammer is keeping a giant octopus somewhere and is going to announce it to the world tomorrow, with the Avengers getting a preview?" he asked in confusion. "It makes no sense."

"So, you think all of the Avenger's should be in attendance tomorrow?"

Bruce gave him a sideways look. "Got somewhere else to be, Thor?"

Thor hesitated. "I thought I would travel to see Jane Foster."

Bruce smiled. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. Whatever Hammer has up his sleeves the rest of the Avengers can handle it. Go and see your girl."

Thor gave him a curious look. "What of your woman, Bruce Banner, I have heard you speak of her. Why do you not seek her out?"

"I'm guessing for the same reason you've been on earth for nearly a month now and are only going to see Jane now. Relationships aren't so simple when you have our kind of issues. There's a lot to think about and sometimes there is just too much risk involved."

Thor understood Bruce's reservations. "You fear you would hurt your Betty Ross?"

"I can't control the other guy," said Bruce grimly. "He's so powerful, he could kill her with a flick of his wrist."

"But he hasn't," Thor pointed out. "And your beast is most tender with the maiden Pepper Potts."

"So far," said Bruce anxiously. "If he's in one of his rages there is just a whole lot of smashing and throwing of things and he doesn't care who gets in the way of that."

"I think you do not give the creature within you enough credit," said Thor firmly. "Whilst the beast might have hold of you, there is still Bruce Banner's heart beating within and that is the heart of a good man."

Bruce gave a humourless laugh. "Is this little pep talk sponsored by Tony Stark by any chance? He's always beating the same drum to me."

"If you ask me whether these opinions are anyone's other than my own, then the answer is no, Bruce Banner. My mind is my own to speak, which I do now."

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend, Thor, it's just I can't see what you two are seeing in the other guy. He's just a mindless brute who scares the hell out of me."

Thor stopped walking and turned to face Bruce. "When I was a boy looking to prove myself to my father, he took me to a realm where flying creatures as large your buses filled the sky. They were powerful winged beasts which could bite a man in two without even trying. Their bodies were covered in leathery hide, but on top of their heads was a brilliant plumage of feathers all the shades of the rainbow bridge which joins our worlds. Odin told me to fetch him a green feather from one of the beasts and then he would know that I was on my journey to becoming a man and knowing where true strength lies."

Bruce looked curious. "And you got the feather?"

Thor told his story. "For three days I hunted these creatures, tried to find where they rested, where they fed and drank. I would hurl myself at them from great heights in hopes of gaining that single green feather. My weapons were useless against them, I could neither catch nor kill any of them. After three days my father returned to find a battered, bruised and exhausted son, a son with no feather to show for his efforts. In my vanity and frustration I declared the task he'd set for me an impossible one. That no man, even the son of a god, could conquer such a creature." A small smiled of remembrance tugged at Thor's lips as he remembered his youthful self's outrage and frustration. "My father did not speak, he simply walked down to the nearby stream and waited for one of the creatures to drop from the skies to slate its thirst. When one did, Odin walked up to it and I heard him speak in a low voice to the giant beast. Then the creature was lowering his head, so that my father might pluck the green feather from its mighty crest."

"What did Odin say?" asked Bruce in amazement.

"I asked my father that question," he said wryly. "And he told me that they were his words to speak and I must find my own to face down the monsters in life, he could not do that for me."

Bruce seemed to think about that for a long moment. "Your father, he's kind of a smart guy," he observed at last.

"I did not think so for a long time, but now I believe him to be the wisest of all men. Tony Stark wishes you to find your own words to quieten the beast inside, Bruce Banner, and I do believe there is a way."

"You're likening Tony Stark to Odin?" asked Bruce sceptically.

Thor had to laugh at that. "No, but I have learnt that teachers may come in many forms. For many years my father strived to show me what really mattered in this life and I did not understand. Now I do, and so many of his lessons come back to me and teach me to look at my choices with fresh eyes. Just because something was, doesn't mean it always will be. My father was right to exile me so that I might learn that lesson."

"All I've been trying to do for so long is get rid of the other guy," admitted Bruce. "I've found a way to live with him now, but I feel like it's on his terms."

"The Hulk cannot exist without Bruce Banner," Thor noted. "Perhaps it is timely for you to remember this."

Bruce smiled. "You know, I think you should talk more, Thor. You have more than a few good things to say and we all could do with a break from Tony's endless noise."

Tony's voice came from the walls. "Are you talking about me? I heard my name!"

Bruce wrinkled his nose. "I may not have thought this revenge through. Now he's in the walls."

"No," said Tony easily, "I'm in the air conditioning duct."

"Have fun with that."

"I will," said Tony defiantly.

"Good."

"Great. Glad I could make you happy."

"Oh, I'm happy."

Thor shook his head as he listened to the two men bicker and couldn't help but smile. "I do not believe I will ever understand this realm," he concluded.

**A/N****: And there you have it, gentle reader, where the title of the fic comes from. Yeah, vaguely weird I know, but that's what you signed up for. LOL **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N****: I seriously never thought I'd get this chapter done. It's so long and so much is going on in RL at the moment, but at long last, it's done. I'm not happy with the ending, kind of just trailed off there, but I don't care right now, at least I can post it. **

**Just answering some questions from folks kind enough to review but I couldn't answer them directly because they were guest reviews. Yes, I have a plan for Pepper in this story and it's a heroic one, she gets to be more than den mother to these lovable rogues. ;) Pepperony is going to start their own little story in amongst all this very soon. And as to how long this fic is going to be? Well, that's a tricky one. I've done a bit of an outline and I'm pretty worried I've got so much to go that we may only be half way through, less than that. ARRGGHH! Scary thought. . I do have a pretty complex story being told here by virtue of all the players, so it's going to take time to tell all of their stories and the overlying one with JH and his Magnificent Octopus, of course. ;)**

**Anyway, moving swiftly on, here's the chapter. Not one of my best, but I guess the cookie just crumbles that way sometimes. :)**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Steve pulled out the chair for Olivia as they settled into the coffee shop down the road from the Avenger's Tower. Some of the shop front was still under reconstruction from the mantis attack earlier that week, but there was a sign on the sidewalk proudly proclaiming them open and ready for business.

Immediately there was a smiling young woman by their table. "Hi, I'm Megan and I'm your waitress. Would you like to see the menu?"

"Oh, we're just here for coffee," said Olivia quickly.

"Would you like something to eat?" Steve asked her.

"I'm not hungry," said Olivia and then her stomach gave a very loud growl, causing her to blush bright red.

Steve couldn't help but smile. "Either that was a little white lie or you've got some kind of animal in that purse of yours," he teased her. Steve looked up at the waitress. "We'll have a look at that menu, thanks."

Their waitress smiled and handed a menu to each of them. "I'll be back in a moment," she promised them and then she was whisking herself away to deal with other customers.

"I'm sorry," said an embarrassed Olivia, "I haven't had lunch today."

"Either have I," said Steve easily, "and I'm starving, so we make a good pair."

Olivia relaxed a little and looked at the menu. "Everything looks so good."

"I don't know what half of these things are," Steve admitted as he perused the menu. He shook his head. "Even the coffees are confusing. Where I come from there used to be black coffee and coffee with milk. I don't know what a soy latte double decaf is." He looked at Olivia in confusion. "It's all coffee, right?"

She gave a little laugh. "Yes."

Steve sighed. "There is so much choice in this world."

"And you think that's a bad thing?" asked Olivia with interest.

"I think it clutters you up, all these choices," said Steve honestly. "It's too much to process all the time, it kind of drives you crazy." He grimaced. "Or maybe that's just me."

"I think modern people just get used to having all of that clutter around them and don't see it," said Olivia. "I know when I moved here from the farm, I found it so strange that people needed to have so much going on at once. You know, like have the TV on while they're working on their lap top and music is playing and they're using their phone. It's all so much activity all at once. I don't think it can be good for your brain. You never get to process and enjoy one thing completely."

"So, it's not just me then?" asked Steve hopefully. "I'm not the only one who thinks this world is moving too fast?"

"You're not the only one," she promised him.

"Where's your farm?" he asked curiously.

"Missouri, outside of Kansas City," she said. "My dad's a dairy farmer."

"And you lived there all your life?"

Olivia nodded. "I went to The University of Missouri, Columbia to do my teaching degree and then I wanted to see the world. I figured I'd start in New York and earn some money to do more travelling. Thing was I hadn't been here a month before I realised the whole world comes to you when you're in New York."

Steve smiled. "It's quite a town alright."

"I still get homesick for the farm sometimes," she admitted.

"I was born near here, but it may as well be on the other side of the world when it comes to feeling homesick." He looked to his left. "The Lower East side of Manhattan."

"I know," said Olivia and when Steve looked at her in surprise. "Everyone knows, Steve. Captain America's history is taught in schools these days. Every school kids know where and when you were born and how you helped win the war." Olivia smiled. "You and my dad were born on the same day, the fourth of July. Dad is going to be sixty this year."

Steve did some quick mental arithmetic. "I'm going to be ninety this year," he realised. He blinked as that sunk in and left him with a depressed feeling. "Damn." Steve grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to swear."

Olivia gave him an understanding look. "It's alright, most people have a run up to turning ninety and it isn't as big of a surprise." She gave him a shy look. "And besides, you don't look ninety." Olivia couldn't hold his gaze then, looking away and suddenly becoming engrossed in cleaning her spoon on the table.

"You don't look ninety either," said Steve warmly and then realised what he'd said as Olivia looked up at him in confusion. "I mean, because you're not, obviously. Obviously you're way younger than ninety, so why would you look ninety? I just meant that for your age, you looked great, whatever your age is, which obviously isn't ninety, I know that." It was all Steve could do to stop himself from groaning aloud at how big a mess he was making of this.

Olivia giggled and put her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry," winced Steve, "in my head that was a lot smoother."

Olivia took her hand from her mouth and gave him an understanding look around her amusement. "In my head I didn't poke you in the eye with a pen earlier," she said kindly. "So, I guess we're both a lot smoother in our heads, hmm?"

Steve smiled, grateful for her understanding and sense of humour.

Megan was back now, pen poised over her pad. "What would you like?" she asked brightly.

Steve looked at Olivia and nodded. "Ladies first."

Olivia looked up at their waitress and smiled. "I'd like a double cheeseburger with bacon on the side and fries and onion rings with a double choc thick shake, please."

Steve looked at her in amazement.

Olivia blushed again. "My Mom says I have the metabolism of a hummingbird but my Dad says I've got hollow legs."

"I'm impressed," said Steve honestly. He looked up at the waitress and nodded. "I'll have the same thing, but instead of the shake, can I have a black coffee, please?"

"Certainly," said the chipper Megan. "I'll be right back with your meals."

"I'll pay for mine," Olivia assured him as soon as she was gone. "I wouldn't expect you to pay for a meal like that."

"I asked you out," Steve reminded her firmly, "and no lady is going to pay for her own food while I'm around."

Olivia looked both flattered but a little worried. "Do they pay you to be an Avenger?" she asked curiously.

"Not exactly," said Steve and made a rueful face as he remembered a recent event.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Steve stalked into the lab and threw down a wad full of cash in front of Tony as he was soldering two pieces of metal together. "What's this?" he demanded to know angrily. _

_Tony looked over the top of his soldering iron and over the top of his protective glasses at him. "It's this new thing called money, Cap. It's the 21__st__ century, so we don't use shells and buttons to trade things anymore." _

"_I know what it is," Steve ground out. "What's it doing in my room?" _

_Tony shrugged. "I don't know, maybe the Tooth Fairy is getting generous in her old age?" _

"_I'm not taking money from you, Stark," Steve bit out, furious at even the thought of it."I'm not some charity case." _

"_No one said you were," said Tony casually, "but you have to deal with some realities here. You need money to get around in this world." _

_Steve scowled. "I'll get a job." _

_Tony put down the soldering iron. "You have a job. You're an Avenger." _

"_Heroes don't get paid to be heroes," said Steve stubbornly. "That's how being a hero works." _

"_Says who? Did you get a Hero Hand Book with those blue tights, because I sure didn't with the suit?" _

_Steve made an annoyed noise. "I'm not being on your payroll, Stark. I know you just love the thought of bankrolling the Avengers so you can declare yourself our leader." _

"_I am the leader but it's because I'm made of awesome, not my money," said Tony indignantly. _

"_You're not the leader of the Avengers," Steve asserted sharply. _

_Tony swivelled in his chair, facing off with him. "Look, I've got the brains, the ability and the snappy rejoinders. Clearly I'm the leader of this group. I inspire people." _

"_You're self-obsessed and reckless. There is no way you're the leader of the Avengers." Steve folded his arms in front of himself. "The only thing you inspire people to do is want to punch you." _

"_Then I guess you must have some leadership qualities after all," said Tony in annoyance," "because I want to hit you right now." _

"_Would you two stop fighting?" Pepper's frustrated voice interrupted them. She walked into the lab and gave them both disapproving looks. "Seriously, you're grown men and you spend your time sniping at each other like bored children." _

_Tony pouted. "He started it. I was just working quietly away and then Captain Craptastic here was all in my face." _

"_Because you stepped over a line," Steve defended himself tightly. "I don't need your money, Stark." _

_Pepper looked over at the pile of money and then back at Steve. "Are we talking about this money, Steve?" _

"_Yes," he said shortly. _

"_I left that money in your apartment," Pepper clarified. "It's yours." _

_Steve grimaced. This was even worse than getting money from Tony. "Pepper, I can't take your money." _

_She gave a little laugh. "It's not my money, Steve, I told you, it's yours." _

_Steve looked at her blankly. "What?" _

_Pepper tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. "When Steve Rogers went missing, he had just over three hundred dollars in his bank account. The money gathered interest until SHIELD took it over in the sixties and invested it in your name." _

"_Even though I was supposed to be dead?" he asked in disbelief. _

_Pepper shrugged and smiled. "I guess someone had a little faith. Anyway, your money has been accumulating ever since. Director Fury asked me to organise a bank account for you the other day, so you can start to access the money. I thought you might appreciate a little walking around money while the funds clear." _

_Steve shook his head in amazement. "How much money are we talking about here?" _

"_I can't give you an exact figure, but it's around five million, six hundred and thirty eight thousand dollars," Pepper recited. _

_Steve felt his jaw drop open. "I-I'm rich?" He'd never imagined that kind of money before in his life. _

"_No," interjected Tony, "I'm rich, inappropriately so, you're just doing okay." _

"_You're not going to have to worry about money, Steve," Pepper reassured him. "And I can set you up with someone to help you manage your funds for the future." _

"_Yeppers, you'll be able to buy all the plaid shirts you can iron from now on," Tony informed him. "I'll alert 'Plaid and Proud' to stock up." _

"_I don't believe this," Steve rasped. He gave Tony an accusing look. "Why did you let me go off on you like that when you had nothing to do with the money?" _

"_Is it wrong to admit that I find you sexually attractive when you're all shouty and vein bulging?" enquired Tony and fluttered his long eye lashes at Steve. _

"_Don't do that!" snapped an unnerved Steve. _

"_Tony, stop harassing Steve," Pepper tutted. _

_Tony scowled. "Why are you always on his side?" _

"_I'm on the side of common sense," she said in exasperation. "Someone has to be." She gave him a warning look. "Back in your box, Blinky." _

_Tony reached out an arm and drew Pepper to his side. "There wouldn't be a Blinky if you weren't so damn gorgeous, Ms. Potts," said Tony huskily. He nuzzled her neck as Pepper gave a little smile. _

"_Ah, do you want me to leave?" asked Steve, suddenly uncomfortable. _

"_From almost the first moment you walked into the lab," agreed Tony as he planted small kisses along Pepper's neck. _

"_No, Steve," Pepper laughed as he drew back from Tony's advances, "you stay, I've got to go." _

_Tony's bottom lip pouted. "Where do you have to be in such a hurry?" _

"_China." _

_Tony frowned and looked surprised. "China the country, or China the level?" _

"_Excuse me?" _

"_You know, the level of the tower which is filled with china," said Tony. "We've got one of those, right?" _

"_No, Tony, we don't have a level of the Avenger's Tower filled with china," said Pepper indulgently. "I'm going to the country China for business. Shanghai to be exact." _

_Tony looked disappointed. "Oh, when will you be back?" _

"_Tomorrow afternoon." _

"_Okay, but you've got to bring me back some of those steamed dumpling from that place I love, you know, the one that sells the noodles." _

"_I know," said Pepper, "and maybe. I'm on a tight schedule." _

"_Send one of the MMMBop boys to get it," he instructed her. _

"_We'll see." Pepper turned to Steve. "I'll give you all the details of your bank accounts, Steve, and show you how to access them on line and then I'll give you a quick tutorial on how to use an ATM."_

_Steve gave her a pained expression. "Can't I just go into the bank?"_

"_No one goes into a bank anymore," Tony asserted, "not unless you're planning to rob it, of course." _

"_You're hysterical," said Steve flatly. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"I'm okay financially," he reassured her. "Don't worry, buying you lunch isn't going to bankrupt me and even if it did, I'd still want to do it."

Olivia's face lit up. "That's so sweet, Steve."

"Well, you did save my life."

The pleasure slipped a little on Olivia's expressive face. "Oh."

Steve frowned, not sure what he'd said wrong. "Not that I think a meal can pay you back, of course."

"I don't need paying back, Steve," she said quietly. "I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, not because I was expecting anything in return."

"I know that," said Steve hastily. "I didn't mean to imply anything else." He frowned because he could see Olivia was a little bit sad now. "I'm sorry," he apologised, even though he still didn't know what he'd done wrong.

Olivia shook her head and gave him a determined look. "Don't be silly, you've got nothing to be sorry for."

"But, I've said something wrong, haven't I?" Steve cursed his inaptitude with women. It was so damn frustrating.

"Of course not," said Olivia, but Steve didn't know that he believed her.

Steve hunted around for something to chance the subject. "So, you never told me why you came to the Avenger's Tower."

"Oh," said Olivia, "that's right, we never got to that." She reached down into her bag which was at her feet and this time drew out the item she'd been looking for previously without mishap. She smiled as she handed it to him. "This is from kids in my class."

Steve took the round item which seemed to be a plastic, disposable plate which had been painted to look like his shield. The children had obviously done it as some of the artwork was a bit questionable, but Steve couldn't help but smile. "Hey, they've made me a back up shield," he enthused teasingly, "it's a bit smaller than I'm used to, but I'm sure it'll be great."

Olivia laughed and Steve felt a wave of relief that he had her smiling again. "It's an invitation," she informed him with amusement, "turn it over."

Steve turned over the patriotically painted plate to see there was a hand written note attached to the back, obviously written by a child.

_Dear Captin America,_

_Can you com and vizit us at skool, pleze? You can pat our hamsta Karamel, he doesn't bit or anythin. _

_Luv Class 2B_

Steve looked up from the note, very touched by the invitation.

"Joshua wrote it," said Olivia. "The little boy you saved that day. He was very insistent you should know that."

"This is great," said Steve warmly, "really great."

"It's alright if you can't come. I told them you're Captain America and you have a very important job and you can't just-"

"I'd love to come and visit your class," Steve interrupted. "They seem like amazing kids."

"Oh, they are," said Olivia eagerly, "they really are. They're the sweetest group of seven year olds you'll ever meet. They'll be so excited to hear you can come."

"When's a good time?" asked Steve, pleased to have a reason to see Olivia again.

"It's Wednesday today, how about Friday, at around ten?"

"I'll be there," he promised her just as the waitress arrived with their food. Steve looked around himself and realised he was having a nice time in a relaxing setting. "I never do this," he admitted as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Oh well, you wouldn't," said Olivia hastily. "You've got to keep fit and coffee is so bad for you."

"It is?" asked Steve in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"They did all this research on the effects of caffeine on your body and it's not good. It's like all that research into the way smoking causes cancer."

"Smoking is bad for you as well?" asked Steve in disbelief. "The Surgeon General used to recommend it to you relax you."

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "They kind of found out that it kills you and people around you."

"People around you?"

"Second hand smoke, it can cause all sorts of upper respiratory complaints and even cancer."

Steve was amazed. He looked down at his cup of coffee. "Boy, I think I preferred not knowing that."

Olivia made a regretful face. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said quickly. "It's just this world seems to know a lot of things now. I guess it's more things to crowd into your head. Sometimes not knowing things is easier."

"And other times knowing things can help you make the right choices," she countered.

He nodded his head slowly. "I guess you're right."

Olivia reached for the salt and caught her fork with the edge of her sweater. The knife flicked up and headed straight for Steve's eyes. As quick as a flash Steve snatched it from the air before it could do any damage.

"Oh," said Olivia, startled by the speed which it had all happened. "I'm sorry," she said in distress. "I did it again."

"No harm done," he promised her and returned her fork. "Being with you is good for my reflexes."

She looked embarrassed again. "That's not a good thing."

Steve winked at her. "In my line of work it is."

Olivia grinned and looked reassured. She picked up her huge cheeseburger and looked at him. "I feel like I've been talking about myself all this time. It's your turn, Steve."

Steve watched as she took a big bite of her burger. "Well, like I said, I was born around here and always wanted to serve my country so when an opportunity came up to be part of an experiment-"

Olivia shook her head and finished her mouthful. "I know a lot about Captain America, the legend, everyone does." She smiled. "Why don't you tell me something about Steve Rogers, the man, something the history books don't know?"

"Like what?"

"Like, did you have any pets as a kid? What did you used to do for fun? What was your favourite hiding place?"

He smiled. "What makes you think I had a favourite hiding place?"

"All kids do," said Olivia knowingly. "Mine was in the milking shed, up in the loft."

Steve settled back in his chair. "There was an abandoned house on our street. All the other kids thought it was haunted, but it had the best hiding places."

Olivia picked up a fry. "So, you were brave, even back then?"

"I don't know if you'd call it brave, more like stubborn," he laughed. Olivia asked more questions then and Steve had more answers and questions for her. Before they knew it, they'd been sitting there for three hours and Steve didn't want their impromptu date to be over...

**A/N****: Re the money thing with Steve. I don't know if it's the writer in me, but I'm always curious about the details of these character's lives. Like, how do they live without jobs or what does happen to the Hulk's underwear when he transforms? These things concern me and I want to know the answers. Of course, I don't question the whole thing about someone actually transforming into a rage monster when they get angry, or a guy frozen in ice popping up with so much as a hint of frost bite. That I just accept, no questions asked, but how Thor pees in his outfit does concern me. Do Asgardian's even pee at all? So many questions, so little time. LOL So yeah, I thought we should address the money issue at least. ;) **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N****: Well, it'll be interesting to see what you all make of this chapter. :D **

**There is definitely more fleshing out of the NaCl relationship and I've got something really fun planned for them down the line... brain tumour notwithstanding. ;) **

**And then, of course, I had to throw in some more Pepperony, because I did promote this as a Pepperony fic, after all. :D The next chapter should be a bit of fun. **

**Thanks for being so patient with me as I get all of these s/l's up and running. We've almost got all our balls up in the air and then we can get cracking with resolving them all. **

**Enjoy, gentle reader... :) **

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Clint crouched down on the edge of the roof of the building he and Natasha were keeping an eye on Justin Hammer. They'd just watched him walk out of the Avenger's Tower and then they'd followed him up town to a bistro where he was currently sitting al fresco, waiting for his lunch and talking on the phone. "What's the phone call about?"

Natasha looked over at him briefly from where she was holding a listening device in her hand with a white earpiece in place. "You don't want to know."

"Hey, I'm on this stake out too, who's Hammer talking too?"

"He's booking himself in for a pedicure and a back, sac and crack wax," she said casually.

Clint blanched. "I didn't need to know that."

"I told you."

They'd already communicated with the other Avenger's about Hammer's impromptu visit and Clint grimaced. "I sure hope that has nothing to do with this magnificent octopus thing he wants us to check out tomorrow because it is, I'm going to be shooting first and asking questions later."

"I think Thor may have gotten a little confused there," noted Natasha. "That doesn't seem right to me somehow."

"Nothing about that guy seems right," said Clint dourly.

Natasha came to crouched down beside him as Clint lifted up his bow and arrow, peering through the specially designed sight to the magnified view of Justin Hammer below. The man was literally in his crosshairs. "You know, I put an arrow in this bow and let go, and we can call it a day."

"We don't have clearance to kill Hammer. This is a recon mission only."

Clint grunted. "Rules are for breaking."

"There is a bigger game in play," said Natasha firmly. "We'll lose an asset by killing Hammer."

"What makes you so sure? Crack Wax Boy doesn't seem like a big threat to me, just an idiot."

Natasha gave a short shake of her head. "Justin Hammer has something to prove and nothing to lose."

"He's got plenty to lose," Clint argued.

"Not by his reckoning, I don't think."

Clint wasn't sure if he agreed, but Natasha had far better instincts than he did and he knew better than to go up against her when it came to understanding people and their motivations. He continued to look through the sight at Hammer, who was now eating a piece of cake. "So, are we going to talk about it?" he asked, without looking at Natasha.

He felt Natasha give him a swift look and then look away again. "You're starting a lot of conversations off that way lately," she noted.

"We kissed." He still remembered the feel of her softness against his lips, even though it had been over an hour ago now.

"We didn't kiss," she corrected him.

"We would have if Jarvis didn't interrupt."

"But we didn't."

Clint put down the eyepiece and shook his head in exasperation at her. "You're the most stubborn person in the world. Why can't you just admit there is something between us?"

She gave him a quick look and then was back to watching Hammer below them. "I do admit what is between us, history."

"And you remember that history, right? What happened?" Clint didn't let her answer. "We met when my life was a little bit complicated-"

"You were on the run from the police," said Natasha wryly.

"That's what I said, a little bit complicated and it was all a big misunderstanding anyway. I wasn't stealing anything, I was trying to be a hero. Stupid, I know. Then I met this mysterious woman who led me astray."

"You were already astray," she countered.

"A big misunderstanding, remember? Anyway, I meet this beautiful woman who just happens to turn out to be a spy for the Soviet Union and the next thing I know I'm stealing Stark Industries tech."

"No one forced you into it," said Natasha tightly.

"I didn't say you did," said Clint calmly. "I wanted to help you, I was prepared to do anything for you."

Natasha looked stressed. "Why are you rehashing the past, it doesn't matter now."

Clint didn't answer her and he didn't stop. "Things went badly on that mission, you were almost killed."

"And you saved me," she said shortly, "I know and I returned the favour with you and Loki's mind control. We're even now, there is nothing else to talk about."

Clint was watching her intently now, Hammer all but forgotten. "I tried to take you to the hospital, but you just up and left. I didn't know what had happened to you. I figured you didn't want anything to do with me and I convinced myself that was a good thing because you were nothing but trouble. Only, the thing was, I'd find myself noticing red headed women wherever I went, thinking for the briefest moment that they were going to be you, but they never were and I was always disappointed. I didn't see you again until Fury recruited me and I walked in to see you standing there." He shook his head. "That was a hell of a thing."

Natasha was looking at him with concern. "Why are you bringing all of this up now? We've talked about our history already."

"I want to know why you really ran last time and why you never gave us a chance?"

Natasha looked away in frustration and then back at him. "Why now?" she bit out. "Why do you need the answers to your questions now?"

"Why not now?" he countered.

"So, what, you find out I've got a life threatening illness and suddenly you want to hook up?" Natasha ground out. "What's that all about?"

Clint twisted to face her more fully. "One, I don't want to hook up, as you put it and two, finding out about your illness just made me ask myself what the hell I was waiting for and I didn't have an answer."

"And you think me dying is going to make me change my mind about us?"

"I thought it might open it up a little. I mean, what is your big problem with giving us a chance anyway?"

Her chin came up in that defiant stance Clint knew so well. "We work better as friends."

"How can you say that?" he protested. "We've never been together, so you've got nothing to compare it to and make the call that one is better than the other."

Natasha's lips thinned. "In our line of work becoming involved never works. It can't be done."

"Tony and Pepper," Clint threw up the other couple's names. "They work together at Stark Industries plus there is the whole Avenger's gig for them to deal with and they work. Admittedly, I don't know how, but they worked out a way."

"We're not Tony and Pepper," said Natasha tightly.

"I'm not saying we are, I'm just saying that these things can work out, sometimes."

Natasha looked to be choosing her words carefully. "You already know you're important to me, Clint. I just don't think now is the time to mess with what we've got. This works, let's just leave it at that."

"Do I get a vote?"

Natasha grimaced. "So what, we've got a stalemate now, is that it?"

"A stalemate can always be broken," noted Clint. "I tell you what, I'm going to kiss you and if, at the end of that kiss, you still want to walk away from what is between us, I'll never mention this again."

Natasha gave him a cool look, but Clint noticed a slight flush to her cheeks. "Alright, get it over and done with then and let's settle this."

"I'm not kissing you now," said Clint casually. "I'm going to kiss you when you least expect it and don't have your guard up, so you can make an informed decision."

Natasha's tone was haughty. "My guard is always up."

Clint smiled, secretly enjoying her ice maiden act. "Every good marksman knows there is always a moment, one perfect moment to take that shot and I'm better than good, I'm amazing."

Natasha made an inelegant noise. "You're crazy if you think all this macho, overconfidence stuff is in anyway appealing, Barton."

Clint's grin widened. "If it wasn't appealing to you on some level, Romanoff, you would have already hit me."

Natasha's eyes narrowed as Clint suspected that particular arrow had hit its mark. "You're wrong about me and you're wrong about this," she threw back at him.

Clint shrugged. "We'll see," he said with a cheeky look her way. "We'll see." Their near kiss earlier that day along with the news of Natasha's tumour had focused Clint's intentions. He'd lay awake all last night thinking about it, thinking about her and realised that whatever the future held, he wanted them to be in it together, and as more than just friends and partners. He'd walked away from Natasha last time because his pride had been hurt when she'd left. This time round, Clint knew there was a lot more at stake than just his pride and he was willing to fight for a future with Natasha, however long that future might be for either one of them. Life was short and more than ever Clint realised it was worth fighting for.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lewis walked in and smiled at her. "You're all clear for your next appointment, Pepper. John and Cody have swept the restaurant and it's all clear for your meeting with Mr. Huang. Happy is on standby to drive us there now."

"Thanks, Lewis," Pepper smiled. "I don't know how I managed without you before."

"It's all part of the job description," said Lewis easily, "keeping you safe."

Pepper stood up from behind her desk and went to collect her bag, ready to go to the meeting when her cell phone rang. She reached into her bag and drew out her phone, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey," came a cheery voice on the other end, "it's your favourite Avenger."

A little smile played around her lips. "Bruce, I told you not to call me on this line, Tony will get suspicious."

"Don't toy with my emotions, woman," Tony growled.

Pepper laughed. "Where are you?"

"I'm about, here and there," said Tony mysteriously. "Have you missed me today?"

"Of course," said Pepper indulgently. "I tried to come and see you earlier today, but I couldn't find you. I heard we had a visit from Justin Hammer today. What did he want?"

"To be weird," said Tony, "which he was and then left."

"You're being vague today," Pepper noted. "It always worries me when you're vague."

"A lot of women love a man with a bit of mystery," said Tony, his voice, low and sexy.

Pepper knew she was grinning like an idiot, but Tony was very hard to resist when he was in full flirt mode. "Ah yes," she teased, "but your kind of mystery often ends up with a law suit or serious damage to property."

"Are you saying my mystery has become predictable?" asked an affronted Tony. "I'm taking that as a personal challenge."

"Please don't," Pepper groaned laughingly.

Lewis made a discrete cough and inclined his head towards the door.

Pepper nodded her acknowledgement. "Tony, I have to go, I'm going to be late for a meeting."

"No, stay and talk to me."

"I can't," said Pepper regretfully. "It's an important meeting."

"How about tonight I take you out to dinner then? Just you, me and Masa's, I'll book out the place so it's just the two of us and we can have our omakase experience off each other's naked bodies."

Pepper laughed. "That sounds lovely, if a little unhygienic, but I really have to work, Tony."

"You're always working these days," Tony complained. Pepper heard him sigh. "I'm pouting and if you could see how adorable I look right now, you wouldn't be able to say no to me."

"I'm sorry I'm so busy right now," said Pepper apologetically, "but I'm working on a big deal. Our timing is just a little off right now, it'll get better."

"I miss you being my assistant and always being there when I turn round."

"Things change in a relationship, Tony, it's normal. We just have to work in us around these new lifestyles."

"I love you."

Pepper smiled. "I love you too and I'll see you later on tonight."

"I'll be the naked guy in your bed, just in case you've forgotten what I look like."

Pepper laughed. "Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep an eye out." She hung up and nodded at Lewis. "Right, let's get this show on the road."

Pepper hurried to her meeting with Mr. Huang, secretly a bit nervous about her and Tony as Happy drove her and Lewis to the meeting. She knew she was going to have to tell Tony soon about the secret she was keeping, but Pepper just wasn't sure when was going to be a good time. They both just seemed to have so much going on and finding a calm, uninterrupted moment seemed almost impossible these days. Pepper wrinkled her nose and looked out the window at the scenery flying by. It would have to be soon, after all, she wouldn't be able to keep a secret like this for much longer...

**A/N****: Thoughts, comments, observations? LOL **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N****: Some speculation from folks about what Pepper's secret might be and that will be answered soon enough. Some mixed opinions on whether or not it should be a baby for the two of them. It's great fun reading all of your thoughts on the subject. **

**In the meantime, one of my reviewers commented that they felt like the Avenger's needed a bonding type chapter and I already had a cunning plan for that up my sleeve. ;) And this is the chapter which reveals it. Hope you all have fun with it and see you in the next chapter... **

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Bruce peered through his glasses at the lap top screen in front of him. A series of formulas ran past him as he perused his work, engrossed in what he was doing. Tony had given him every resource to look for a cure for his gamma radiation issue and Bruce was going to utilise it to the fullest. Mind you, Tony had also felt the need to say he didn't think Bruce needed any fixing, that the Hulk was his favourite thing about him. The raging green beast inside wasn't Bruce's favourite thing however, and the need to get rid of the thing was still a huge driving force in his life. He understood what Thor had been trying to tell him when they'd talked earlier, but the thought of the Hulk actually being an ally in his life seemed like a pipe dream, at best. It was far better and safer to see the end of the creature altogether, if that was in any way possible. A quiet knock on the door interrupted Bruce's musings. "Come in," he said, without asking who it was.

The door opened and Steve stepped through. He gave a lop-sided smile. "Got a moment?"

Bruce leaned back in his chair and nodded. "Sure, I was just about to take a break anyway." He stood up and walked into the self-contained kitchen. "Do you want a coffee?"

Steve shook his head and walked over to the sofa. "No, just had one at lunch, thanks."

Bruce watched the other man take a seat. "You're walking funny, what's up with that."

Steve wrinkled his nose and shook his left foot. "I've got sugar in my shoe. I can't seem to get it all out."

Bruce smiled, already having an inkling as to how or rather who might have caused that problem. "Had a fun date with Olivia, did we?"

Steve smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it was really nice and we-". He paused abruptly and looked up at Bruce as the other man came to join him on the sofa. "How did you know her name was Olivia and that we went out to lunch?" he wanted to know.

"We spied on you," confessed Bruce blithely.

"We?"

"Tony, Thor and I."

Steve scowled. "How is it that we live in a building with thirty-two floors and yet have absolutely no privacy?"

Bruce took a sip of his coffee. "Just unlucky, I guess." He lounged in the corner of the sofa and regarded Steve with interest. "So, you had a nice time with Olivia?"

"She's really sweet and easy to talk to." Steve smiled. "I liked being with her. I didn't feel so out of place when we were talking."

"And the sugar in your shoe?"

"There was a mishap with the sugar bowl," said Steve vaguely.

"I have a feeling that's something you're going to have to get used to if you plan on seeing more of that young lady," said Bruce in amusement.

"Is it weird that I find her being klutzy kinda cute?" Steve pondered.

Bruce laughed. "No, just be careful, the guys and I aren't completely convinced she's not working for Hydra."

"That's ridiculous," Steve snorted. "Olivia is really sweet, she'd never intentionally hurt anyone."

"But she seems to be on a roll at unintentionally hurting you. How's the knee?"

Steve treated him to an annoyed sideways look. "You lot sure got an eyeful, huh? I can't believe I didn't see you watching us."

Bruce chuckled. "You had your hands full avoiding the next full body attack from your little Miss O'Brien. You two were very cute together. Did you ask her out again?"

"Kind of," said Steve. "Olivia's class invited me to come and visit them on Friday, so I'll see her then."

"And then what?"

Steve's arm was lying along the arm rest of the sofa and his fingers started a nervous tattoo. "I don't know. Do you think I should ask her out?"

"Do you want to?"

Steve paused. "I do."

"Then you should do it."

"I don't know how to date in this world." Steve grimaced. "Heck, I didn't know how to date in my world."

"But you've been on dates before," Bruce pushed him. "Right?"

"Before I used to double date with Bucky but they never went too well. Then I became Captain America and there was the war and everything and well, I fell for Peggy and we never managed to get it together before it was too late." Steve trailed off. "I'm not that experienced with women."

"How inexperienced are we talking here?" Bruce quizzed him. "I mean, you've had sex, right?"

Steve didn't look at him and then there was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Oh," said Bruce at last, "I see."

A pink coloured tinged Steve's cheeks. "I know, it's weird, right, I'm a freak?" he said bitterly.

"You're not a freak," said Bruce quickly. "You're just someone who has an interesting past with that whole being cased in ice for seventy years thing in the middle of it. That kind of thing is going to play havoc with any guy's love life."

Steve's head dropped back on the sofa. "What am I going to do?" he groaned up at the ceiling. "If I take a woman out, they're going to expect me to know what I'm doing and I just don't. How can I expect Olivia or any woman to take me seriously when I'm such an idiot? I'm going to screw everything up if I try and go on a real date in this world." Steve lifted his head from the sofa and gave a frantic look at Bruce. "Don't tell the others," said Steve quickly, "particularly Tony, he'll never let me live it down."

"Your secret is safe with me," Bruce promised him. "Besides, it's nobody's business but you're own."

Tony's head suddenly appeared from under a floor tile just in front of the sofa. "You know, it hurts my feelings that you'd think I'd make fun of you not having had sex, Steve."

The two men jumped violently at his sudden appearance.

"Holy crap!" Bruce exclaimed. "How long have you been down there?" He shook his hand where he'd spilled some coffee from the fright Tony had given them both.

"Not long."

"I thought you'd gotten out of the ceiling hours ago," Bruce grumbled. "I thought you knew your way around this building of yours."

"I did and I do, just thought I'd check out a few things while I was in there," said Tony easily as he hauled himself out of the floor and replaced the floor tile. He straightened up and dusted himself down.

"We were having a private conversation," said Steve in annoyance. "You should have coughed or something."

"Do you know what you need?" asked Tony, ignoring the other man's censure.

"Privacy?' suggested Steve dourly.

"You need a guy's night out," said Tony confidently. "We'll go out, you can get the lay of the land and get your confidence up. We'll make a night of it. I'll introduce you to some lovely ladies, we'll do a little dancing, a lot of drinking and you'll be an expert at women by the morning, I promise. What do you say?"

"I say that is the worst idea I've ever heard," said Steve flatly. "No way."

"Come on," Tony cajoled him, "the Avenger's need some team building and this would be perfect."

"I'm not taking the other guy into a night club and mixing that with alcohol," said Bruce in horror. "Forget it, Tony."

Tony rolled his eyes and sat down on the coffee table across from them. "Come on, Grandpa, loosen up a bit, why don't you?"

Bruce glared at him. "Because people could die, that's why I don't."

"Look, you, me, the Capsicle, Thor, we'll hit the town and just hang," said Tony easily. "I promise you, it'll be low key and tasteful."

The other two men just stared at him.

"Okay," Tony relented, "it's probably going to be over the top and debauched, but I feel like that's just what the doctor ordered."

"If that's true I think it's time to change doctors," said Bruce, unconvinced.

"Steve just needs to get some practice in with the fairer sex, then he won't be so worried about the whole thing," Tony argued.

Steve fixed him with a disapproving look. "I guess you've slept with a lot of women, Stark?"

"Define a lot?" Tony countered.

Steve's brow furrowed as he seemed to think about that for a moment. "More than six," he announced at last.

Bruce couldn't help but admire how Tony managed to keep a straight face when he answered.

"In that case," said Tony steadily, "yes, I have slept with a lot of women by that definition, Steve."

There was another knock on the door. "Come in," called out Bruce and Thor walked into the room. Bruce nodded approvingly. "At least you used the door, Thor, much appreciated."

Thor frowned, looking a little confused. "You are most welcome, Bruce Banner," he said slowly.

"We're going out for a boy's night out tonight," Tony informed him. "Time to iron your best cape and make yourself pretty."

Thor shook his head. "I cannot, Tony Stark," he said firmly. "I have decided to travel to Norway to see Jane Foster and declare my intentions."

"Intention declaring is a big thing," Tony observed. "You'll probably need a run up at that, like a guy's night out."

"I do not believe that to be the case, Tony Stark."

Tony made an exasperated noise. "Look, I'm trying to build a team here."

"By getting us all drunk and associating with loose women?" asked Steve darkly.

Tony pointed an excited finger at him. "Yes, thank you, Steve, that's it exactly."

"What about Pepper?" Steve argued. "How is she going to feel about all this?"

"Pepper trusts me, she knows I only have eyes for her."

Bruce looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Tony issued him a displeased look. "You don't have to sound so shocked."

"It's just that you've got quite the reputation as a love 'em and leave 'em kinda guy," Bruce pointed out. "If I was Pepper, I don't know how I'd feel about that."

"If you were Pepper I'd kill myself," said Tony flatly.

"Charming."

"Here's the deal, we need this," said Tony, not backing down. "At the moment we're just these guys who cohabitate and we're not a real team yet. This would be good for us, as a team."

"I told you I'm out," said Bruce firmly. "The other guy and alcohol and crowded spaces don't mix."

Tony gave him a disapproving look. "You know, you use the fact you occasionally morph into a green giant with possibly unlimited power and anger management issues, capable of causing untold carnage, as an excuse to not do a lot of things." He didn't let Bruce answer. "And Thor, you're about to take a big step. I don't know what declaring your intentions means in Asgard, but on Earth, it's a big deal. You need your friends to rally round and send you off into the great unknown in style." Thor tilted his head and seemed to be considering that but Tony had already moved onto Steve. "And you, Cap, you need to develop some moves because the ones you've got so far are in a word, embarrassing. Think of this as training for the real thing. You're a soldier, you love all that stuff. Think of tonight as a boot camp for living life in the 21st century."

The others looked at each other, obviously having trouble coming up with an argument for all that Tony was saying. It didn't matter anyway because Bruce knew that Tony was just going to keep on nagging them until he got his own way.

"I feel redundant in saying this is a bad idea," Bruce grumbled.

Tony grinned. "That's how you know we're all going to have fun tonight, B. Trust me, guys, we're going to have a blast."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony whistled as he walked down the halls of the Avenger's Tower and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in number one on the speed dial. It was picked up almost right away. "Just so you know," he said before the other person could speak, "you've missed your chance to go out with me tonight, I've made other plans."

Tony could hear the smile in Pepper's voice. "Is that right? Should I be jealous?"

"The guys and I are hitting the town," said Tony happily.

"The guys as in Thor, Bruce and Steve?" asked Pepper sceptically. "How did you manage to talk them into that?"

"I can be very persuasive if I need to be."

"Apparently," she laughed.

"I just wanted to ring and let you know," said Tony.

"Are you asking my permission?" she asked in amusement.

"Do I need to?"

"No, of course not, just try and be gentle with the other guys. They're not used to your kind of lifestyle."

"I'll ease them in gently."

"No, you won't."

Tony chuckled, loving that she knew him so well. "I just think we all need to let our hair down, get them chatting to some pretty girls."

"I see, and what will you be doing while all this chatting is going on, Mr. Stark?"

"Missing you," said Tony huskily. He paused. "You know you can trust me, right, Pep? There is no other woman for me than you."

"I know, I was there while you did all that exhaustive testing of every other woman in the country to arrive at that conclusion."

"You make me sound like a man whore," Tony protested.

"Well, you didn't get paid, so I guess that description isn't technically true."

He grimaced. "Sorry."

"Tony, we weren't together then, you have nothing to apologise to me for, some of those girls, maybe, but not me. Besides, I hate to shatter any illusions, but I wasn't a virgin either when we got together."

"I know, but I'm the best you've ever had, right?" he asked cheekily.

Pepper laughed. "Someone is fishing for compliments."

"I'm hearing a yes in your voice."

"Can you also hear a 'please be careful tonight and don't overdo it' in my voice as well?" she asked indulgently.

"Love you," said Tony.

"You too."

Tony hung up as he walked into his and Pepper's apartment. "Jarvis, I need some reservations."

"Very good, sir, I think it's a mistake for the Avengers to venture out on a night of debauchery when there is so much going on with Senator Kidston trying to shut down the initiative and Noble Maniatis still on the loose."

Tony made an annoyed face. "Not those kinds of reservations. I meant I need you to make some bookings for me. Tonight is happening, we'll worry about the other stuff tomorrow."

"Tomorrow may come sooner than you think, sir," Jarvis warned him.

"Way to be a downer, Jarvis."

"Thank you, sir, I do my best."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"It sounded like you were."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Really, sir, the thought never occurred."

Tony pursed his lips at that last rejoinder. "One of us isn't funny anymore, Jarvis," he said in annoyance.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, sir, I still find you very amusing."

"You're getting another tune up," Tony threatened him.

"I shall do my best to contain my excitement, sir. The last time worked out so well for everyone involved. I'm sure this time can only go just as splendidly."

"Mute," Tony snapped. Damn, out sarcasmed by an AI unit. He need this night out more than he thought...

**A/N****: Everyone put on your dancing shoes, because we're going out par-tay-ing tonight! Should be fun. ;) **


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Happy pulled up in the limousine and got out as Thor, Steve, Bruce and Tony stood in the underground garage and watched.

Steve looked the white stretch limousine over. "So, we're taking the low key approach to this, I see."

"This is low key," Tony protested. "We could have gone with the pink stretch hummer."

"What's a hummer?" asked Steve.

Thor had his thoughts on the subject. "Mayhaps a mechanical beast which hums as you ride in it."

Tony gave him an impressed look. "It isn't, but now I really want the humming car thing. It sounds way cool."

"You can't," said Happy firmly, "because they don't exist."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "A gap in the market, I see what you're saying, Happy. I should invent one."

Happy rolled his eyes. "No one would buy one, boss."

"I would," protested Tony.

"As would I," agreed Thor happily. "T'would be a magical way to travel."

Bruce shook his head. "We haven't even left yet and I want to go home," he said in annoyance.

Tony held up a warning finger to him. "No raining on the parade, B. Pull up those big boy panties and let's go and have some fun."

"I don't think we agree on the definition of fun, Tony," said Bruce dryly.

"You say that now," said Tony confidently, "but wait until you see what my definition is. I promise you, it rocks." He waved them towards the limo. "In, in, those strippers won't shove dollar bills into their own g-strings."

"I'm not going to a strip joint," said Steve, even as Tony carolled him into the car.

"Either am I," agreed Bruce as he followed Steve in.

"I do not believe I know what this joint of strips is," said Thor even as Tony unceremoniously shoved him into the car as well.

"Trust me," he called into the limo at the ring of reluctant faces, "Tony Stark is taking you out on the town, and he knows how to party."

"Is Tony Stark going to be referring to himself in the third party for the entire night?" Bruce wanted to know. "Because if he is, Bruce Banner is going to have something to say about that."

He waved away Bruce's concern. "It's all going to be golden, don't worry." Tony shut the limo door and shook his head at Happy. "Why are they making having fun so much work?" he complained.

"Natural survival instinct?" Happy suggested.

Tony ignored the dig. "Are we all set?"

"Your reservations have been made, I've got a full tank of gas, the limo bar is fully stocked and the lawyers are on speed dial," Happy listed.

Tony patted his arm and grinned. "All the ingredients for a perfect night."

"I just hope the others aren't as much work as you are when they're having fun."

"Do you know what your problem is, Happy?"

"I've got a couple of thoughts on the subject."

"You worry too much."

"I've got some thoughts on that subject as well."

Tony waved away his concerns. "Tonight is going to be fantastic. I promise you, Hap, absolutely nothing is going to go wrong."

Happy grimaced. "I wonder if people said that just before they boarded the Titanic?"

"We're not going to hit an iceberg tonight," proclaimed Tony confidently.

Happy arched a doubtful eyebrow.

"I'm almost seventy-two percent confident of that fact," Tony back-tracked a little. "I like those odds."

"You say only say that because it's unlikely you'll be the one bailing out the cabin," said Happy dryly.

"What's that?" asked Tony brightly, pretending he didn't hear. "You're eager to get on the road?" His grin widened. "Me too, me too, my friend." Tony opened the door of the limo and climbed in with the others. "Gentlemen, start your engines," he said excitedly.

Happy slammed the door shut behind them and sighed heavily. "And they were never heard of again," he muttered to himself as he headed around to the driver's seat to drive all of them to their fate.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha lined up the punching bag in front of her and then threw a deadly punch squarely at the middle. She ducked and weaved about as the heavy bag jerked and swung with each of her following blows. Normally Natasha loved to work on the bag, punching out her frustrations, body kicking out any stresses of the day, but tonight she wasn't getting the usual fix from the rush of exercise endorphins. There was too much on her mind. Ever since she'd taken up the spy business, she'd always known the future was uncertain. Death could find you in a blink of an eye if you made the wrong move at the wrong time. Natasha had always known that, but when that doctor had told her the news about her brain tumour, the reality of life being short had been driven home in the most frightening of ways. If Natasha had been given a choice, she'd rather have gone out in the field, using her skill and training against whatever was trying to take her life. Whether she lived or died would have been in her hands.

This cancer was something else.

All control was taken away from her and now Natasha had to contemplate putting her life in the hands of faceless doctors or to slowly waste away. Both options felt unbearable to Natasha, and on top of that Clint was trying to barrel his way into her life once more. The thought of being vulnerable around someone brought a sense of panic welling up inside of her. It wasn't that she didn't trust Clint, it was more that she didn't trust herself. If she lost her hard edge then she could well lose her effectiveness in her job and Natasha didn't want that. Letting something further develop between her and Clint meant opening a door she had no idea what lay behind it. She threw a hard punch, frustration overwhelming her as her thoughts chased themselves around in her head and there seemed to be no resolution to her concerns.

"What did that bag ever do to you?" Clint's teasing question came from behind her as he walked into the gym and then around, so he could grab the punching bag and hold it steady for her.

"I was working out," said Natasha shortly, unable to think about anything other than Clint's promise of an unexpected kiss as soon as she saw him.

He gave a lop-sided smile. "That would have been my next guess."

"I thought you were going to do some practicing with your bow," Natasha noted, glad there was a punching bag between them. She knew how to use her sexuality when it came to a mission, but in real life, it was something she tried to bury. The way Clint was looking at her made her stomach tighten in nervous anticipation even as she chastised herself for being so weak. Natasha was determined not to let this get any more complicated than it already was.

Clint gave a short nod. "I was, but then I remembered I'm amazingly awesome at the whole bow and arrow thing, and thought I'd give it a miss."

"You got good at it by training," she said with a note of censure.

"And missing one day of it isn't going to be the end of me," he reasoned. "Besides, I thought was could go out, maybe get a drink or something?"

Natasha arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him. "So, that's your plan, get me drunk and then try to get that kiss?"

Clint just smiled. "You won't be drunk when we kiss, I promise you."

"Drunk or unconscious," said Natasha sweetly, "those are your only two options."

He winked at her. "We'll see. So, you in?"

"No, I've got work to do."

Clint let go of the punching bag and walked around to stand in front of her and made a thoughtful face. "Anything to not have to think about things, I see."

"What does that mean?" she demanded to know.

"Us, your illness."

"I don't want to discuss either of those things," she said tightly.

Clint didn't seem to be listening. "Have you made a decision about that operation yet?"

Natasha eyes flicked around the empty gym, her lips tightening.

"No one is here," Clint informed her. "We're alone, Natasha. It's alright, you can talk."

"I don't want to talk," she said again.

"But you're thinking about what you should do, right?" he pushed her. "You haven't made a decision yet?" Clint eyed her closely. "Or have you?"

"You want me to have the operation." It wasn't a question.

"I do and I think it should be done as soon as possible."

Natasha's chin came up. "It won't be you who could end up a vegetable out of all this."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Clint countered. "It's still your best shot at living life on your terms."

"Except it won't be _us_ living that life, it'll be me," said Natasha darkly.

"I've never known you to fail at anything you put your mind to," said Clint simply.

"This time it isn't in my hands," she noted tightly. "It's in someone else's."

Clint looked away briefly before fixing her with a frustrated look. "I know you've always worked alone or with people on your own terms, Natasha, but sometimes life doesn't work out that way. At some point you have to trust someone otherwise everything is going to come crashing down around you."

Natasha stared at him, not knowing if Clint was talking about her operation now or them. She suspected it was a bit of both. "I haven't made a decision," she said quietly. "I'll tell you when I do."

"The sooner you do it, the sooner you'll be on the road to recovery," he reasoned.

"I gave you an inch, Barton," she said in exasperation. "Why do you have to go for the mile as well?"

He smiled. "That's just the kind of guy I am, kiddo, you know that."

She shook her head at him. "It can get a little wearing."

"Unlike this stubborn, ice princess routine which is a complete and utter joy to behold," he sassed her right back. Clint's expression became serious as he stepped closer. "You know that whatever you decide, Natasha, I'm going to back your play. I don't want you to doubt that for a minute."

"But that isn't going to stop you from trying to sway me towards the operation in the meantime," Natasha noted dryly.

He shrugged unapologetically. "I am what I am."

Fury walked into the exercise without warning and Natasha instinctively stepped back away from Clint. He fixed his good eye on Clint. "I've got a job for you."

Clint looked at him expectantly.

"It appears the rest of the Avenger's have decided on a night out," Fury informed them.

"Okay," said Clint.

"One organised by Tony Stark."

"Oh," said Clint, his tone becoming more knowing, "okay."

"I need you to get them to call it a night."

Clint grimaced. "Really? Why me?"

"Why not you?" Fury shot back. He looked between the two of them. "Unless I'm interrupting something here?"

"You're not," said Natasha calmly.

"I just don't want to listen to Stark yapping at me," complained Clint. "He's not going to be happy."

Fury gave him a cool look. "It's not my job to make Tony Stark happy."

Clint considered his options. "I should take one of my knock out gas arrows and use that on him."

Fury's expression didn't change. "The plan here is to not draw attention to ourselves," he noted dourly. "I think walking into a New York club with bow and arrow might have the opposite effect, Agent Barton."

"Yeah, but you rarely have to pay a cover charge," he quipped.

"Get the rest of the team out and don't make a scene," Fury ordered him. "We don't need the negative publicity."

"I'm all about the stealth, sir."

"See that you are."

"Where are they?"

"Where do you think, the trendiest club in town."

"I'm not really up with the New York clubbing scene, sir, I'm going to need more information."

Natasha interjected. "You'll find them at the Carnaval des Lumières."

Fury nodded. "Yes."

Clint looked at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Natasha gave a wry smile. "Because it's Tony's kind of place and none of the others. He'll enjoy having that kind of advantage over them."

"Okay," said Clint slowly, "so what am I walking into here exactly?"

"Just don't drink anything while you're there and I'd recommend against wearing anything flammable," she recommended.

"And I've got a job for you too, Agent Romanoff," continued on Fury.

Natasha nodded, happy to have something to occupy her night. "Sir." Anything to stop her being alone with her thoughts.

**A/N****:** I know, I know, not enough Pepperony – I'm working on it. . You rush the miracle worker and you get a lousy miracle. :P


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N****: After many life interruptions, I've managed the next chapter. I've refined a lot of the next bit of the story based on what people are saying they'd like to see in their comments, so hope you'll all like it. :) There is going to be a big whack of Pepperony coming up very soon that wasn't going to be there originally. I hope it won't end up breaking the flow of the evening too much, but I wanted to put it in there and people are interested in the Pepperony stuff it seems. ;) **

**Also, I've just been crazy busy this week and really, the next three weeks is not looking any better with me covering a lot of shifts at work. I normally like to respond to all of the people who are kind enough to leave me comments, but I'm going to have to beg your forgiveness this round and not reply. I'm sorry :( but at the moment I think it's probably better to spend an hour writing then an hour responding to comments, which I love to do BTW, but I'm pretty time poor at the moment. Just know I really appreciate every single comment and favourite I get. You're all made of awesome! :D **

**Okay, running to the next job now, here's the chapter as I try to keep all the balls I've launched into the air front and centre in people's mind... **

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

The silver centipedes glided through the ducts of the Avenger's Tower, multiple feet moving almost soundlessly. The tiny metal creatures had dispersed themselves throughout the entire building, using the hidden ducts and bundles of electrical wires to weave their way around undetected for days now. They came to a fork in the duct and two went to the left, while one went on to the right. The one on its own halted briefly to scan the area. A red beam came from its eyes and swept the area in a beam of red light, relaying information back to its controller.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lewis walked along the service corridors making his way back to the elevators from the garage. The Tower was a huge building and impossible for three men to police, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do his best to familiarise himself with as much of the building as he could. He walked around the level, one above the garage, which housed the power source for the entire building, the arc reactor. Lewis could hear its quiet hum through the walls as it worked away tirelessly. Out of habit he tried each door he passed to make sure it was locked. He had an all access pass to every door and level in the building except for the door to the arc reactor and Tony's lab. Only two people had those keys and they were Tony and Pepper themselves. He'd been given the tour when he'd first started but after that the two areas were off limits unless Tony or Pepper were authorising it.

Each door he tried was locked and Lewis nodded to himself approvingly. His military training has taught him to be prepared for anything and a part of that was knowing your way around in the case of an emergency. A brief flash of red light coming through the air conditioning vents caught his attention. "Jarvis," he called out, "what was that?"

"Sir?"

"I saw something kind of red light in the air conditioning vent, Level One, Sector B, vent number-" Lewis walked closer to read the number, "one dash three two. Do we have a scanner or something in place there?"

"No, sir."

"Can you detect anything?"

There was a brief pause. "No, sir, nothing is flagging as abnormal."

Lewis frowned and came to stand directly under the vent, peering up at it. When he didn't see the red beam again, he looked around and saw a metal chair at the end of the corridor. Lewis quickly retrieved it and placed it under the vent. He stood on the chair to reach the air conditioning vent, pushing on it to displace the cover. Gripping the side of the vent, Lewis then hauled himself up so that his head was sticking through the hole and he could see into the duct properly, holding himself in place with his upper body strength. Lewis looked up and down the duct and couldn't see anything. He cocked his head and listened intently, but there was only the hum of the reactor to be heard and the movement of the air in the duct. Reassured, Lewis replaced the vent cover and jumped back down to the ground.

Cody's voice came into his earpiece. "Sir, Ms. Potts is secured and we've done a sweep of her office. She's saying she's done for the night."

"Good," said Lewis, "I'll be right there." With a last look around, Lewis walked briskly to the service elevator and stepped inside, pressing the floor for Pepper's office. The doors closed and whisked him away to his destination.

**oooOOOOooo**

The centipede slowly unmelted from the metal wall, reforming itself into its intricate shape as its sensor picked up the sound of the life form leaving. It scurried further down the corridor and conducted another scan, the red beam of light washing over the walls as it had done countless times before since having been dispatched inside the building. This time though, it detected something new, the energy signature it had been waiting for. It relayed the information to its controller, waiting patiently for its next instruction. Digital information flooded the centipede's tiny CPU and a feeler twitched in understanding. It's tail, complete with small pincers on the end, reared up and started to emit a silent signal, calling to its brothers and sisters to come and find him. The signal wound its way through the entire building and within seconds, the hundreds of the tiny creatures scattered throughout the tower were hurriedly making their way towards that signal.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry blew out a sigh of relief as he checked over the information one of the centipede minions had just sent him. He wanted to be sure before contacting the big boss. He pushed up his thick glasses and re-read the data carefully. Once convinced, he jumped up and headed over to his lap top and dialled up an important number. It rang a few times, but then his boss' face filled the screen as Jerry's call was answered.

Justin Hammer gave him an interested look. "This had better be good news, Jerry. I'm in the middle of a workout."

"Sir, the centipedes have located the arc reactor."

Hammer's face brightened. "At last. Is the next phase ready to go?"

Jerry's head bobbed up and down. "Already in progress."

"Good," said Hammer in satisfaction. "Very good."

Jerry hesitated, not sure if he should be saying this. "Sir, I just wanted to point out that I've never done this kind of thing before and we haven't really tested it, so we don't know if this is going to work."

Hammer grinned and waved a hand at his concerns. "I have complete faith in you, Jerry, otherwise you wouldn't be my go to guy for all things computer-related." The cheerful smile stayed on Hammer's lips. "Just don't disappoint me, okay? You know what happened to the last guy who let me down."

Jerry snuck a nervous look off to his left, where the body of Noble Maniatis was in a cryogenic coffin propped up in the corner of Jerry's computer lab. He swallowed hard. "Sir, do we really have to keep that body in here with me?" It creeped Jerry out having those lifeless eyes follow him around the room.

"I can hardly keep it in the penthouse," said Hammer dismissively. "He clashes with my drapes." He grinned, as though he'd made the funniest joke in the world. "Besides, I thought you'd like the company."

"Sir, he's dead," said Jerry hesitantly, "don't you think we should just get rid of the body?"

"I didn't get rich by throwing things out willy nilly," said Hammer emphatically. "You'll never know when something can come in handy, and I'm not done finding a use for our Doctor Maniatis yet."

Jerry didn't even want to think about what that meant, he was already in way deeper than he'd ever intended. "Um, okay, sir."

"Just let me know when Phase Two is complete."

"Yes, sir, I will."

The screen went blank and Jerry let out a relieved breath, so far so good when it came to pleasing his boss. Jerry tried not to look at the dead man in the room as he went back to his desk. It was a horrible reminder of how a bad situation could get a whole lot worse and he certainly didn't want to end up sharing the other man's fate. "Come on, you little creepy crawlies," he muttered into his computer screen. "Don't screw this up. I don't come back together after being disassembled."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve walked into crowded club and blinked, having to take a moment to absorb all that he was seeing.

"What do you think?" shouted Tony in his ear above all the music and voices. "I told you this was going to be fun. Carnaval des Lumières is the hottest club in New York at the moment."

Bruce was looking around as shell shocked as the others. "The Carnival of Lights," he translated, "I guess I can see that."

The entire building was essentially a converted warehouse with a large central area and a balcony which ran around all of the walls. In amongst the heaving wave of patrons there were carnival performers of all types – fire eaters, people on stilts, contortionists set up on platforms dotted around the place, acrobats and above their heads trapeze artists glided back and forth. The place was full of colour and movement and loud music. It was an incredible thing to behold and Steve felt like he'd walked into an alternate dimension.

Thor nodded approvingly as he looked around. "Tis a very merry festival, Tony Stark."

"And it's about to get a whole lot merrier," said Tony as he ushered them along.

A smiling woman, tall and blonde, dressed as a very sexy Harlequin walked up to them. "Mr. Stark, we're so glad you and your party could join us tonight."

"We're very glad to be here, Esmeralda," Tony returned. "Is our table ready?"

"Of course," she said easily, "just as you requested."

She gracefully guided them to their table and Steve quickly averted his eyes from the sexy sway of her bottom in the too short skirt. The way women dressed in this era still unsettled him. He knew it was common place and the norm, but he really didn't know what to do with his eyes half the time. Was he meant to look, not look, or not get caught looking, Steve had no idea.

Esmeralda had taken them to one corner of the club where a huge padded booth, all covered in crushed velvet was waiting for them. It could sit at least ten people and the Avengers all slid in as a fire eater on the podium in front of them spat out a mouthful of fire above their heads.

Steve felt Thor tense beside him and half-stand. He grabbed the other man's arm. "It's okay, Thor," he said quickly, "the guy isn't attacking us. It's all part of an act, you know, to entertain us."

Thor still looked suspicious as he slowly sat back down. He kept his eyes on the man who was going through his routine with great showmanship and flare. "As you say, Steve Rogers, but I will maintain vigilance around this breather of fire, just in case."

Bruce shook his head. "That could have gotten real ugly, real quick. Nice catch, Steve."

Steve gave a pained look at Tony. "This is a bad idea," he said for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "All these people, all these dangerous acts going on around us-"

Just as he said that a heavily tattooed woman walked by them, swallowing a sword as she went. Thor's eyes went wide as he watched her pass. "That is a strange place to keep thy weapon," he noted in disbelief. "Verily, an enemy would not see it coming, but it still seems dangerous to me."

"You just don't want to see where she keeps her car keys," said Tony in amusement. "Or maybe you do, I don't really know what you're into, Thor." His grin widened. "And that's what tonight is all about, getting to know each other better." Tony made a sweeping gesture with his hand as two waitresses, also dressed in carnival costumes complete with masks, arrived with trays of cocktails. "This is a drink I created myself," he said proudly as the red drinks were placed in the middle of the table, complete with little umbrellas sticking out of the large cocktail glass which had strawberries floating on top

"I'm not drinking," said Bruce firmly.

"It's one drink," Tony wheedled. "Looks, it's not even a real drink, it's got a little umbrella in it, how dangerous can that be?"

Bruce eyed it warily. "What's in it?"

"You just have to drink it, B, not perform an autopsy on it."

Steve picked it up and sniffed it gingerly. "It smells like strawberries."

"It's basically a fruit smoothie," said Tony blithely. "I call it the Stark Raving Mad."

"Because that's what you've got to be to drink it?" asked Bruce dryly.

"It's what you are if you _don't_ drink it," Tony corrected him.

"So, a drink named for you," said Steve flatly. "I'm assuming it going to give us all a headache and end up being a bad idea."

Thor didn't seem to have the same reservations the others did. He downed it in one go and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he smacked his lips together, nodding approvingly. "Tis a fine mead, if somewhat odd tasting."

"You see," Tony cajoled, "Thor likes it."

Steve looked over at Happy. "Happy isn't having one," he noted suspiciously.

"I'm driving," said Happy. He lifted up his orange juice. "I'm on the soft stuff all night. If I lose my licence for a DUI, I've only got my skills as a ladder to fall back on." He pulled a face. "And I don't fancy a job with 'Tony Stark's Crotch' written into the position description."

"Why are you making this so much hard work?" asked Tony in exasperation. He looked at Bruce and Steve. "It's one drink, with an umbrella in it and one of you is a super soldier and the other one is all supped up on gamma radiation, how big of an effect is it going to have really?"

Bruce and Steve looked at each other and then over to Thor who was reaching quite happily for another of the brilliant red cocktails.

They picked up their glasses and Tony grinned. "A toast," he declared dramatically, "Avenger's Unclench!"

"Just so you know," said Bruce dourly, "I'm drinking this in spite of that toast, which was god awful."

"One drink," Steve warned him resolutely, "and then we're done."

They all drank from their cocktails as Happy sipped on his orange juice, and that was the last thing Steve would clearly remember for the rest of the night...

**A/N****: If anyone has seen the movie, Van Helsing , I'm thinking of the ballroom scene in that as the inspiration for this night club. ;)**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N****: Surprisingly I got this chapter done. Working with a lot of characters here, so bear with me guys, the night has just begun... ;) **

**Chapter Thirty**

"Everything is secure and unless you have anything for me, I'll be off."

Pepper looked up from her desk and smiled warmly at Lewis. "Yes, of course, thank you, Lewis. Have Cody and John gone home yet?"

"I sent them home half an hour ago."

Pepper made a regretful face. "I'm sorry this day has gone on for so long. You'd better get home or there will be talk of divorce."

Lewis chuckled and winked. "I'm good with the sweet talking."

She laughed as well. "Well, that's lucky. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Pepper."

"Ms. Potts, Agent Romanoff has entered the building," came Jarvis' voice.

Lewis looked at Pepper expectantly and she shook her head at him. "It's fine, you go home. I don't think I have anything to worry about when it comes to Natasha."

Lewis smiled. "I guess not, see you tomorrow."

Pepper glanced at her watch and saw that it was already past eight. "Jarvis, where is Natasha heading?"

"To the lab."

"Ask her to meet me in the kitchen when she's done," said Pepper.

"Very good, Ms. Potts."

Pepper closed her office door and locked it, heading towards the elevator. After a short ride she was at the main kitchen level and stepping off the elevator. "Lights," she called out to the automated system and the state of the art kitchen lit up, revealing everything a person could possibly want or need in a kitchen. Pepper went about making a couple of omelettes as she waited for Natasha. She was just dishing up the first one when Natasha walked into the kitchen. Pepper smiled at her. "Hi."

Natasha smiled back. "Hi."

"I thought you might not have had time for dinner yet," said Pepper and pushed the omelette towards her.

Natasha hesitated for a brief moment but then sat down at the counter top and took the offered plate. "I haven't," she admitted.

"I had a dinner meeting but didn't really get to eat," Pepper confessed. "We had a lot to discuss, so I'm starving."

Pepper finished plating up her omelette and passed a knife and fork to Natasha. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water will be fine."

Pepper poured them both a glass of water and set it down on the kitchen counter, taking a stool across from Natasha. She picked up a forkful of egg. "Did you get access to the lab alright?"

Natasha nodded and swallowed her mouthful of food. "Jarvis let me in." She gave Pepper a considered look. "Aren't you going to ask me what I was doing in there?"

Pepper gave a little laugh. "I figure if you want to tell me you will and if you don't, you'd lie anyway."

Natasha gave her a rueful look. "I suppose I deserve that."

"I wasn't having a dig at you," said Pepper mildly. "I just appreciate the kind of work you do and that it goes hand in hand with secrecy sometimes."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Let's just say I find it easier to handle when you're doing it rather than Tony," she said wryly and then took a sip of her water. Pepper eyed her curiously. "I thought you might be out with the rest of the Avengers tonight."

"I wasn't invited." Natasha's tone betrayed no emotion about that. "Fury sent Hawkeye to break it up."

Pepper's lips twitched. "It's so cute that he thinks that is going to make a difference to Tony. It's a shame you're not there though. It'd be a good opportunity to bond and get to know the rest of the team a little better. "

"It's not my kind of thing," she said shortly. "I work alone."

"You used to work alone," Pepper corrected her gently. "You don't anymore. You're part of a team and not an average type of team at that."

"There is a natural separation between Hawkeye and myself and the rest of the team," she offered up. "We were recruited by SHIELD before them and live on the SHIELD base, plus, we have different skill sets. It's natural that we wouldn't be mixing with the others as much."

"Maybe it's time to do something about that?" Pepper suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you can't really enjoy living on that floating military base," Pepper noted. "Why don't you come and move into the Avenger's Tower? After all, you are an Avenger."

Natasha frowned, clearly never having considered the idea before.

Pepper leaned in across the counter, determined to make her consider it at least. "It's not entirely selfless. I mean, as much as I love all the guys, I must admit I wouldn't mind having another woman around to cut through all of that testosterone at times. The Tower is huge, you'd have your own private levels to do with what you want, of course." She wrinkled her nose as she tried to work out exactly what she wanted to say. Pepper had been thinking about this for a little while now. "But it's a lot more than that. You're not like them, Natasha, you don't have the same kind of ego the others have. They need you to cut through all the BS and get to the heart of the matter. They need the balance of your personality to really get this team to come together and function properly."

"Me?" asked Natasha sceptically.

"Look, what happened to Phil, Agent Coulson, rallied them in the moment and that was great, but now there is the day to day of being a team and things aren't going so well. There are all of these huge characters jockeying for position and it's not working."

"How can I help with that? They are who they are?."

Pepper tried to explain. "It's like an Oreo cookie. The guys are all these hard, immovable pieces of biscuit-"

"And I'm the sweet, creamy centre?" interjected Natasha dryly. "I think you've got me confused with someone else, Pepper."

"You're the bit that fills all the cracks and holds them together," said Pepper determinedly, "at least you could be. You're good at analysing people, knowing why they do things while the others just tend to react. They need your insight to hold them all together, Natasha, otherwise they're never going to be any kind of team and that's dangerous for everyone." Pepper gave her a serious look. "They need you more than they know, Natasha, and more than you know, I think."

Natasha gave a tight smile. "It seems you have a fair amount of insight of your own, Pepper."

"Yes, but I'm not part of the team," she countered. "You're necessary to the Avengers, Natasha and I want you to consider moving into the Tower."

Natasha just stared at her, clearly lost for words for a moment.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony and Bruce lounged back in their private red velvet booth looking very relaxed and content. There were a lot of empty cocktail glasses on the table and they were watching Thor and Steve through the crowd of heaving bodies and entertainers.

Bruce squinted. "Is Steve dancing or having a fit?"

"I have no idea," grinned Tony, "but he sure loosens up after a few drinks."

"What was in those things?" Bruce still wanted to know. "I can't feel my legs anymore."

"They're still there," Tony reassured him blithely. "Don't sweat it."

Thor meanwhile was at the bar demonstrating his strength by picking up four women all at once as they squealed happily and iPhones recorded the act. Happy scurried up to them, a vaguely harassed look on his face.

"Ah look, B, it's our little den mother," said Tony happily. "What's up, Mom?"

"Okay, so Thor has just down two Flaming Sambucas-"

"So?" said Tony. "He's a big boy."

"Without putting them out first," Happy finished his story, "and now he's decided he wants to learn how to eat fire. Oh, and Steve is dancing with a lady man." He looked at Tony expectantly. "Are any of these things something we're going to worry about?"

Tony sat upright in his chair. "Steve is dancing with a man?" asked Tony excitedly. He craned his neck to see through the crowd and Steve was indeed shaking his groove thing with a suspiciously tall and broad shouldered brunette.

"I believe they prefer transgender," said Bruce, his words slurring ever so slightly as he took another mouthful of his cocktail. "Or is that shemale?"

"Whatever it is I want pictures," declared Tony happily. He clicked his fingers. "Happy, photo op and whatever you do, don't tell Grandpa his date pees standing up."

Happy rolled his eyes. "Okay, and what about Thor? Are we cool with him potentially burning the place to the ground?"

"He's the god of thunder," Tony rationalised. "If anything gets out of hand he'll just call up a little rain, no biggie."

"I see a few flaws with that plan," Happy noted.

"Name one," Tony demanded.

"We're inside," Happy observed. "From memory rain doesn't happen inside a building."

Tony pointed a finger at him. "Good point. You better go stand beside Thor with a fire extinguisher."

Happy sighed. "And here was I thinking tonight couldn't get any better." Regardless of his reservations Happy trumped off to find a fire extinguisher.

"And don't forget my photo!" Tony called out after him. He settled back into the seat next to Bruce. "It appears that both Steve and Thor are on the flaming side tonight."

Another smiling waitress walked up to the table with a large, deep-fried onion ring on a plate. "Your order, sir?"

She offered the plate to Bruce who took it with a grin. "Thanks." He pulled a leaf off and munched on it happily. "I love these things."

Tony picked up his martini and pulled an olive off, chewing on it thoughtfully. He'd drunk quite a bit but unlike the rest of the team, he was used to it and it wasn't having a big effect on him. "What do you think this magnificent octopus thing is about?" he pondered. As fun as it had been leading everyone off the primrose path, Tony's mind had still been working away furiously.

"I thought we weren't allowed to talk shop?" Bruce noted as he lounged in the velvet seat beside Tony, the onion flower plate resting on his chest as he watched the contortionist in front of him. He cocked his head as the young woman lay on her stomach and then bent her back legs completely over so they were resting on the ground in front of her shoulders. "Damn, I've pulled something just watching that."

"You don't think it's got anything to do with Hydra, do you?" Ton continued to ponder. "Their emblem kind of looks like an octopus. Granted, one with only six legs and a death skull, but still, you could go with an octopus feel to the whole motif."

Bruce shoved a mouthful of onion petal into his mouth and chewed before answering. "I doubt even Hammer is stupid enough to get involved with Hydra and make a public announcement about it."

A fire breather approached the young woman and picked her up, balancing her on his shoulders as he continued to spit out flames from his mouth as the contortionist stood on one leg and lifted her other one up to her ear.

"The one thing you should never do is discount the level of that man's stupidity." Tony looked suddenly thoughtful and not really paying attention to the theatrical and colour-filled acts going on around them. "I wonder if the Avengers should have their own insignia?" He paused momentarily and took a sip of his drink. "And I wonder what would be a good one for us?"

Bruce's eyes were on the group of men making a pyramid now while smaller figures bounced through the gaps of their structure with the help of little trampolines. "I'm thinking a hamster eating its own foot," he said distractedly.

Tony twisted in his seat to give Bruce a considered look. "You're kinda a weird guy, B, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Not since the other guy came on the scene," Bruce deadpanned. "Now, are you going to let me eat this onion flower in peace, or what?"

Tony grinned. "I think we both know the answer to that."

Suddenly Clint dropped from the ceiling, doing a neat tumble as he dropped and managing to stick the landing. He straightened up and looked down at the two men.

Tony's eyes went wide from the impressive appearance of the other man. "Now _that's_ an entrance," he declared approvingly. "From now on I'm going to be entering all clubs that way." He grabbed Happy as he walked by clutching a fire extinguisher. "Did you see that, Hap, I want to make an entrance like that from now on."

Happy gave Clint a displeased look. "Thanks for that, man."

Clint shrugged, unconcerned. "They wouldn't let me in at the door. I had to get creative."

Tony clapped his hands together. "And creative you were, my friend and now you're here, it's time to get this party started."

"I'm here to do the opposite of that," Clint corrected him. He glanced around at all the colour and movement. "Fury doesn't think this is a good idea. He wants you to all reel it in."

Tony looked him over. "So, what, you're Fury's own personal party pooper now, is that it, Sparrow Man?"

"My boss gave me an order to tell you the party is over," said Clint, not rising to the bait.

"And you have," said Tony jovially. "Now, let's get down to some serious drinking."

"This is a potentially volatile situation and mixing our particular skill sets with alcohol is a bad idea," said Clint firmly. "We're going and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Tony shrugged. "I guess you're right. We'll go, but first, you have to have a drink." Tony waved at one of the waitresses and she walked over with a Stark Raving Mad cocktail already prepared.

Clint shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Come on," said Tony, "it's got an umbrella in it, how big of a deal is a drink with an umbrella in it?"

"Alright," Clint relented, "one drink, and then we're out of here, got it?"

Tony smiled and gave him an innocent look. "Oh, absolutely, Agent Barton, absolutely."

Clint picked up the drink and took his first mouthful while Bruce and Tony smiled at each other knowingly...


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Natasha was surprised by Pepper's offer, even though she didn't show it. Even more surprising was the reasons Pepper had given for her to live in the tower with the rest of the Avengers. Natasha had never really considered what her role in the Avengers might be other than what she was being ordered to do at any given time. The concept of being the Avenger's glue had never entered her mind but Pepper had seemed so certain about the whole thing. In her time working as Natalie Rushmore with both Tony and Pepper, Natasha had been impressed with Pepper's self-possession and intelligence, so it wasn't so easy to discount her assessment out of hand. Natasha's brow creased ever so slightly at the thought of moving into the Avenger's Tower. She'd never really had a place to call her own for more than a month or two at a time. Hers just wasn't that kind of job. Natasha was used to communal living in the past on military bases but this was something again. Against her will her thoughts turned to Clint and how it might be good to have some space from the confusion and conflicting feelings he was causing in her. The frown on her face deepened as Natasha contemplated what this would mean when it came to keeping her condition a secret.

"Something is worrying you," said Pepper, who'd been watching her closely this whole time.

"I'd never really considered living here," Natasha admitted. "You just caught me off-guard is all."

Pepper shook her head. "No, it's something else." She gave her a considered look. "Like you've got a secret that's weighing on you heavily."

Natasha's heart skipped a beat at Pepper's intuition but kept her voice even. "We all have secrets, Pepper."

Pepper wrinkled her nose. "I know," she said ruefully, looking a little guilty all of a sudden.

Natasha attempted a deflection, arching her eyebrow. "Looks like someone has a secret of their own."

Pepper sighed, a hand going to her necklace and playing with it distractedly. "You know how in life these things come up and they can potentially have an impact on a relationship because you haven't really talked about it and when you did kind of hint at it the reaction wasn't great so you kind of know that things could go badly but that it's too late now because it's already a done deal?"

Natasha blinked. "That was a very long sentence which didn't tell me very much."

Pepper gave a little laugh. "Yes it was and I suppose it didn't."

"Are you and Tony having problems?"

Pepper chewed on her inner lip. "Not yet."

"He loves you," Natasha offered up. "It's the most real thing about Tony Stark, at least, the most real thing he shows the world."

Pepper smiled. "You see, comments like that are why the Avengers need you so badly."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" asked Natasha impulsively.

"Of course," said Pepper easily.

**oooOOOOooo**

The Avengers and Happy were all sitting at their booth, Bruce on his third deep fried onion flower. They were all leaned over, attention on Thor as they attempted to teach him something very important.

"Okay, Thor," said Tony in his most patient voice, "we'll try again. Now, pay attention." He cleared his throat. "Two peanuts walk into a bar. One was a salted."

Clint shook his head. "So bad," he grunted before taking a drink of his sixth Stark Raving Mad.

"Do you get it?" asked Tony eagerly, looking at Thor.

Thor's face was a picture of concentration. "The humour is in the fact the peanuts can walk."

"No, Thor," said Tony in despair, "no, that's not the joke."

Clint straightened up and pounded down his drink. "Okay, speed round," he said, voice slightly slurred. "A jumper cable walks into a bar. The barman says "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

Everyone groaned at the bad joke.

Undeterred, Clint jabbed a finger at Steve. "Next."

Steve, who had one of the little umbrellas behind each ear now, gave his joke. "A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says 'a beer please, and one for the road'."

Another round of groans.

Clint pointed to Happy. "Next."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says, "I've lost my electron. The other says, 'Are you sure?' and the first one replies, 'Yes, I'm positive...'."

Tony nodded approvingly as they shared a grin. "Nice. Here's one, two neutrinos go through a bar."

"No nerd jokes," said Clint dismissively. "It has to be something normal people can understand. Happy, you're up."

Happy still had the fire extinguisher on his lap. "A guy with dyslexia walks into a bra."

Bruce's lips quirked. "Funny, man, but I'm guessing at least two people at this table don't know what one or both of those words are."

Steve scowled as they all looked at him. "I know what a bra is," he grumbled.

Tony clicked his fingers together. "Interesting point, are there bras in Asgard?"

"I do not know what this bra structure is," said Thor.

Tony looked around and waved to one of the waitresses whose costume composed of little more than a pair of hot pants and a bra. He smiled charmingly at her. "Hello-"

"Miranda," she said huskily, smiling back at him.

Tony nodded approvingly. "Miranda," he said, "would you mind me borrowing you for a quick minute?"

Miranda's eyes filled with mischief. "You can borrow me for longer than that, if you'd like, Mr. Stark," she said in a sexy voice.

"A minute is all I need," he promised her, ignoring the obvious invitation. Tony pointed across the table to Miranda's bra. "The item of clothing holding up Miranda's delightful and unless I miss my guess, very real breasts, is called a bra, Thor."

Miranda looked at the handsome god of thunder with interest. "They're very real," she assured him throatily, "you can check if you like."

Her hands went to the catch at the back of her bra but Tony stalled her. "No, thank you, Miranda, I'm sure they're spectacular but let's keep the mystery between us, hmm?"

Miranda gave a little shrug and half-smiled. "Your loss," she cooed and then sauntered off.

"Does that happen a lot to you?" asked Clint in amazement. "Random women just walk up to you and offer to show you their breasts?"

"It's not an unusual occurrence," Tony conceded.

Steve frowned but didn't look that menacing with the umbrella motif he was currently sporting. "And what does Pepper say about that?"

"Neither Pepper nor I can control the actions of other people," said Tony simply, "just our own. Pepper is fine with it because she knows she can trust me."

Bruce was looking at him in narrowed-eyed disbelief. "Just why exactly haven't you married Pepper yet? That woman is way too good for you."

Tony's right eye gave a little twitch. "Marriage?" he repeated.

Happy gave a little snorted laugh. "I see Mr. Twitchy is in the house again."

Tony's look was cool. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Happy."

Happy addressed the rest of the group. "Tony's right eye twitches whenever you say the 'M' word."

"It does not," said Tony hotly.

Happy looked him square in the eye. "Marriage."

Tony's right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

"Oh wow," said Steve happily, "that is just too much fun. Marriage."

Tony's eye twitched. "Stop that," he said in annoyance.

"Of course," said Steve with an evil grin, "marriage."

Again, the eye twitch.

Bruce had to join in. "Marriage."

Eye twitch.

Bruce burst out laughing. "This is better than sex," he declared around his hilarity.

Clint made an inelegant sound. "Then you're doing it wrong, Banner." He looked over at Tony who was glaring at them all. "But it is funny, marriage."

Tony's eyelid twitched yet again even as he stuck his hand up over his eye and gave them all an annoyed look. "It's a nervous tic, okay? I can't help it."

"And that's what makes it so much fun," Bruce declared. "Marriage."

They couldn't see Tony's eye twitch because his hand was covering it, but they all knew it was happening and everyone was laughing anyway.

Thor seemed to be distracted though, as he interrupted their mirth. "Is it because they can speak?"

Tony dropped his hand away from his face and looked at Thor warily. "What do you mean?"

"The peanuts," he clarified, "tis because they have been given voice, that is the reason for the mirth?"

Tony grimaced. "Not even a little bit."

Thor looked crestfallen. "Tis of no use, Tony Stark," he said with a sigh. "I will never understand these jokes of Midgard. There is no point to continuing."

"No, no," Tony protested, "you can't go and see Jane until you get this, Thor, it's important. You understand a guy walked into a bar joke, and you're almost there in understanding everything about Earth culture."

"Overstate things much?" asked Bruce wryly.

"Have you got a better idea?" Tony challenged him.

"I just don't think all of humanity can be summed up in a few 'guy walks into a bar' jokes," Bruce argued.

"And that was your first mistake." Tony fixed Thor with a determined look. "Just try and do your own bar joke, Thor, see how you go."

Thor's brow knitted in concentration. "An Ice Giant walked into a bar-"

Everyone at the table nodded in encouragement, eyes on Thor.

"And asked for a large chair," concluded Thor triumphantly.

Everyone just stared at him.

"Because he is a giant," Thor prompted them, "he would require a large chair to sit on whilst taking his ale."

Steve wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, not quite Thor."

"But he would," protested Thor, "an Ice Giant is most enormous. These puny chairs would not hold him."

"Yes, but it's not funny," Clint tried to point out. "It has to be funny, that's what a joke is all about."

"It's like a Knock Knock joke," Tony tried to explain, "it's got to have more than one meaning."

"Knock Knock?" queried Thor.

Happy pulled a face. "I feel like we're taking a backwards step here."

"Yes," said Tony, ignoring him. "Watch and learn, Thor." He turned to Happy. "Knock, Knock."

Happy dutifully complied. "Who's there?

"Boo."

"Boo who?"

"Don't cry, it's just a joke."

"Debatable," said Bruce.

"Very," agreed Clint.

Thor was just looking at Tony blankly.

Bruce waved a hand at them all. "Out of the way, genius at work here. Knock, knock."

Steve answered. "Who's there?"

"Interrupting cow."

"Interrupt-"

"MOO!"

Steve giggled. "That's funny."

Bruce nodded in satisfaction. "I know, right?"

Thor looked even more puzzled. "Why was the cow at the door? How did he learn to knock?"

Bruce shoved more onion flower into his mouth as he addressed Tony. "Give it up Henry Higgins, Eliza Doolittle here is never going to get this concept."

"Never say never," said Tony determinedly.

"How about marriage?" interjected Clint cheekily. "Can we say marriage?"

Tony's eye gave two twitches in fast succession. "Stop that," he growled. "We're helping Thor, not tormenting me."

"I like to think I can marry the two," said Clint straight-faced and was treated with another eye twitch from Tony.

Thor straightened up, a determined look on his face. "Knock, knock."

"Who's there?" asked Tony dutifully, happy to move away from talk of marriage.

"Tis Thor."

The group groaned. Happy shook his head. "No, Thor, you're doing it wrong."

Thor simply stared at Tony who sighed in resignation as another set up was lost on the other man. "Tis Thor who?"

"Tis Thor, but I do not wish to complain," he finished.

There was a hushed silence as everyone contemplated what Thor had just said.

Steve jabbed an excited finger at him. "Yes!" he yelled. "You got it, Thor, that was funny!"

The whole group looked at each other in amazement before bursting into laughter at Thor's humour.

Thor beamed. "Tell me another of these bar jokes," he insisted, obviously feeling like he was on a roll.

Clint scratched his cheek and looked thoughtful before grinning at Thor. "Okay, how about this one? A man walks into a bar and sees a dog in the corner licking its balls. He walks up to the bartender and orders a drink. He motions towards the dog and tells the bartender, 'Man, I wish I could do that'. The bartender says, 'Well, you should probably pet him first'."

There was a hushed silence as everyone looked at Thor, waiting for him to process the joke. Thor's face was a picture of concentration. "Tis humourful because," he began slowly, "the tender of the bar believed the man wished to lick the dog's balls rather than his own."

"Not as funny how you said it," said Clint, patting him on the back proudly, "but yeah, got it in one, big guy."

Thor nodded in satisfaction. "I am ready to go and see Jane Foster now."

"Don't open with that joke," said Clint hastily. He paused. "Or do, I don't know what your girl is into, apart from giant blondes from other realms who carry hammers."

"You should come and live at the Tower," Tony declared emphatically, looking at Clint with interest.

Clint looked at him in surprise. "Who me?"

"The rest of us already live there," Bruce noted, pulling apart the last of his onion flower.

Steve regarded the almost eaten treat. He reached out a hand. "Can I try some of that?"

Bruce slapped his hand away and gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Get your own."

"Bruce Banner does not share food," said Thor knowingly.

"Good to know," said Clint, giving Bruce a wary, sideways look.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper waited expectantly for Natasha's question.

"How did you and Tony-?" She hesitated. "I mean, in the end, how did you two-"

"Hook up?" asked Pepper in amusement.

Natasha gave a wry smile. "I guess. I mean, you were friends for so long, how did you take that next step and didn't you have concerns about it?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint gave Tony a considered look. "Come and live at the Avenger's Tower?" he repeated sceptically.

"You can't tell me you enjoy living on that flying pool table," said Tony roundly. "Unless you enjoy the communal eating, sleeping and showering arrangements, of course." He grinned. "And if that's the case, you can have Happy to keep you company while you eat, shower and sleep."

"No, you can't," said Happy flatly. "I have a life, Tony."

"No, you don't," said Tony easily.

"Alright," he conceded, "I don't, but I would theoretically like to have one in the future, so I'm not up for being Hawkeye's security blanket."

Clint looked between the two men. "Is this what I can expect if I say yes to your offer, Stark?"

Steve shook his head sombrely. "It'll be much, much worse, I promise you."

"Not helping with the big sell here, guys," Tony chastised them.

"What about Pepper?" Clint queried.

Tony gave him a jealous look. "No way in hell are you showering or sleeping with her," he growled.

Clint rolled his eyes. "I meant wouldn't Pepper object?"

"Pepper loves me and knows whatever I do, it's for the good of the group."

Clint pondered that and thought back to him comparing Tony and Pepper to Natasha and himself when he'd brought the other couple up with the wilful spy. "About that, how did that happen? How did you get Pepper to take a chance on you, Stark?"

"Well," Tony grinned, "I was being particularly awesome on this one day."

Happy arched an eyebrow. "Awesome, that's the word you're going to go with, boss?"

"Yes," said Tony confidently, "in fact, I'd go so far as to say uber awesome."

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha looked intently at Pepper, her omelette all but forgotten. "So, how did Tony convince you that he was worth the risk?"

Pepper gave a little smile. "Well, Tony was being especially annoying this one day-"

**oooOOOOooo**

"Uber awesome?" repeated Happy. "Seriously?"

"That's how I remember it," Tony protested.

"Why don't you give your version of events, then I'll tell everyone what really happened, Mr. Uber Awesome?"

"I will," said Tony defiantly. "Things came to a head when I had this brilliant idea…"

**A/N****: And now we'll get the story of how Pepper and Tony first became Pepperony... my version at least. LOL I'm deviating from the movie-verse because well, I can. ;) So this will be a little story within a story and give everyone their Pepperony fix before we go back to the bigger canvas. I've got visitors at the moment which makes writing impossible, but I'll get back to you with an update as soon as I can. :D Thanks for reading as always. **


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N****: Life and work is still crazy, but managed to get this chapter done somehow. Thank you to all who are reading, favouriting and commenting. You are all complete and utter legends. :D **

**A couple of people have mentioned that Cap can't get drunk and I'm planning on addressing that in later chapters, so stay tuned. ;) **

**Okay, running between 12 other jobs right now, so I'm going to post and run. Hope you enjoy the first part of how Pepper and Tony first started to date in this particular reality. :D **

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

"_Do you know what is the most annoying thing about you, Tony Stark?"_

_Tony stared into the angry blue gaze that was just inches from his own. "That despite what I do, my hair is always perfect?" he offered up brightly._

"_No!" Pepper Potts snapped. "It's the way you get me involved in things without telling me what it is and then when I do find out I wish I didn't!"_

"_Oh, come on now," said Tony dismissively, "give me an example, Potts."_

"_Now!" said Pepper through gritted teeth, so close to him that he could feel her hot, sweet breath on his face. "Right now, Tony, this is an example. You have me holding a bomb!"_

"_Ah, now to be fair," said Tony distractedly as he continued to try and manoeuvre the delicate wires in the metal casing, "it wasn't a bomb when I first asked you to hold that wire for me." Tony had been working on some improvements to his miniaturised arc reactor that currently kept his heart safe and sound and had asked Pepper to hold some wires for him because he didn't have enough hands and quite frankly didn't trust any of his automated devices. The work was too fine and delicate, so he'd called Pepper down. It had all been perfectly safe as he'd worked away, soldering this to that while Pepper held that away from this. The truth was that Tony could have worked it out that he didn't need Pepper but he liked being this close to her, liked having an excuse to have her soft perfume in his nostrils and feel the warmth of her body close to his. _

_Tony had intentionally taken longer than he needed to get the job done but that was when things had started to deteriorate rapidly. He'd actually been working out some kind of segue into bringing things around so he could ask Pepper out on a date. Tony was extremely nervous about asking because of two very good reasons. The first was the extremely high possibility that she'd say no, Pepper having already made her feelings very clear about becoming one of 'his girls' as she'd put it. Pepper would never be like that for him but Tony could understand that he was a hard sell to a woman like Pepper Potts. The second reason he was so nervous was that there was a minute possibility that she might actually say yes to him. Pepper was the most important relationship in his life and if he screwed it up Tony knew he'd lose her forever which was just something he couldn't even begin to contemplate. _

"_But it's a bomb now," said Pepper anxiously. _

_Tony stopped what he was doing, suddenly serious brown eyes meeting hers. "Sometimes a change can be a good thing, Pepper. Maybe things changing isn't something we should run away from." It had been a question he'd been mulling over for awhile ever since his feelings for Pepper were starting to demand action from him. _

_Pepper gaped at him in disbelief. "Explain to me how something life saving transforming into something life threatening is a good thing, Tony?" _

_A slight frown touched Tony's brow. "What makes you'd think it'd be that awful?" he asked in a hurt tone. _

_Pepper was looking at him like he'd gone insane. "Um, because it's a bomb," she bit out. _

_Tony blinked and then looked down at the arc reactor. "Oh right, we're talking about this and not that, okay." _

"_What that?" asked Pepper in confusion. She closed her eyes in frustration. "No, don't answer that, just concentrate on not getting us killed." _

_Tony snorted disdainfully. "We're not going to be killed." To demonstrate his point he tugged on the wire he'd been trying to isolate and held it up triumphantly, showing Pepper how he'd managed to neutralise the situation. The arc reactor wasn't on board with Tony's showmanship though, because it started to emit a high-pitched squeal that was steadily getting louder and more frightening sounding. Tony looked down at the device in surprise. "Oh." _

"_Oh?" repeated Pepper anxiously, still holding the casing of the reactor steady with her hands. "Oh, what?" _

"_Oh, that's disappointing," Tony noted. He looked at the wire in his other hand and then back at the reactor. "Why didn't that work?" _

_Pepper was looking at him with real fear as the reactor's shrill cry became even louder and more intense. "Tell me you've dismantled the bomb, Tony," she pleaded with him unevenly, "and that's the noise this thing makes when it's perfectly safe." _

_Tony gave her an uncertain look. "Is this one of these times where you'd like me to lie to you so you feel better?" _

_Pepper groaned and closed her eyes. "We're going to die." _

"_We're not going to die," said Tony calmly. "I'll just reattach the wire and everything will be fine." He did just that and the noise immediately stopped. Tony grinned at the relieved looking Pepper. "See, nothing to worry about." Just as quickly as the arc reactor had stopped, it suddenly burst back into life, this time making an even scarier noise. Tony pouted. "Well, that's not right." _

"_What do we do?! What do we do?!"Pepper looked at him with wide, terrified eyes as the sound of the device became even more urgent, obviously building to something._

"_We should-" said Tony slowly, belying how quickly his brain was working out all the possible scenarios and what he could do about it._

"_Yes, yes!" exclaimed Pepper anxiously._

"_-run away," concluded Tony thoughtfully as all of his extrapolations came to the same conclusion._

"_Oh my god," Pepper gasped weakly but Tony had already grabbed her hand and was dragging her towards his roadster. _

_They both clambered in, Tony immediately switching on the engine and throwing the car into reverse. There wasn't enough room and certainly not enough time by the high-pitched scream his creation was currently making to rectify that, so Tony simply looked over his shoulder and floored it. _

"_We're going backwards!" yelled Pepper._

"_Duly noted, dear," said Tony through gritted teeth as he used all of his skills to manoeuvre around all the work benches and various other pieces that cluttered his work shop until they were going at break neck speed down the tunnel that led out to the road outside. They screeched down the winding tunnel, Pepper holding on tight to the dashboard. All of Tony's concentration was on the task at hand as he worked hard to get them both to safety. He knew what kind of bang this was going to be and it wasn't going to be pretty. An indescribably loud explosive noise came on the heels of that thought. The sound rolled down the tunnel, shaking the car and loosening concrete above them._

"_Tony!" said Pepper loudly and he didn't need to turn around to see what she was crying out about. _

_Tony could feel the heat of the fire ball heading their way even without taking his eyes off the road behind them. _

_Pepper, of course, had a front row seat to the enormous orange beast that was snapping at their heels, intent on swallowing them alive. "Bad," she whimpered watching it edge ever closer. "Bad, bad, bad."_

_Tony's brow furrowed with concentration, knowing they weren't far from the opening of the tunnel now. He just needed to get them there before that fire ball caught up with them and their tank full of fuel. The red roadster shot out of the tunnel entrance like a bullet from a gun, just as the tunnel erupted behind them. The force of the blast lifted the front end of the car up, but Tony just kept his foot pressed down on the gas pedal and eyes on the road. The car thumped back down to the ground and Tony drove them a safe distance away before pulling up on the side of the road. "So," said Tony after a moment as they both stared ahead for a long moment, catching their breath, "I feel like Chinese. How about you, Pepper?"_

_Pepper looked at him wide eyed at his casual question, clearly still trying to come to terms with what had just happened. "No," she said hoarsely, "I don't want Chinese, Tony."_

"_Thai?" offered up Tony hopefully. "I'm in the mood for noodles. It has to have noodles."_

_Pepper just shook her head in disbelief and tried to get out of the car. Her still shaking hands fumbled with the door handle and in the end she ended up spilling out of the car, landing on her back on the dirt below._

"_Are you alright?" asked Tony in concern, moving over to her side of the car and leaning down to check on her._

_Pepper's legs were still in the car while she lay flat on her back on the ground. Her face was deathly pale, making her freckles stand out particularly noticeably. "No!" said Pepper, some strength returning to her voice. "No, Tony, I'm not alright. We almost died."_

"_But we didn't," he pointed out brightly. "So, that's good, right?"_

_Pepper turned her head and looked up the road from where they'd just escaped what would have been certain death and then looked back at Tony. "I hate you," she announced raggedly._

_Tony smiled, finding her particularly adorable in that moment. "No, you don't."_

"_Oh, yes I do!" exclaimed Pepper as she tried to untangle her legs and get out of the car properly. _

"_You're just a little overwrought," said Tony, trying to help her but getting a few kicks in the face and chest for his trouble, most likely intentionally. _

"_Overwrought," muttered Pepper to herself as she shakily attempted to stand. "I'm always overwrought around you, Tony Stark!"_

_That seemed as good an opening as he was going to get and Tony took it. "I'm always overwrought around you too, Pepper," he said sincerely, following her out of the car. _

"_Why?!" she yelled at him, arms flailing about. "I don't scare you half to death on a daily basis! I don't live to make other people crazy! I don't-." Whatever Pepper had been about to say was lost as she promptly fainted dead away._

_Tony's heart lurched as he saw her fall, lunging forward and just managing to catch her in time before she hit the ground. Tony held her to him as Pepper's head lolled backwards, still alarmingly pale. She was clearly still in shock and between standing up so suddenly and yelling at him, it had been a little too much. Tony very tenderly lowered her to the ground, quickly slipping his coat off and putting it under her head. He urgently ran his hands over her body, worried that something from the blast may have hit Pepper and caused this, but she looked perfectly fine, better than fine actually. Tony grimaced as he became distracted by the feeling of Pepper's softness under his hands. "Not cool, Stark," he muttered to himself and quickly withdrew his hands. The last thing Tony wanted was for Pepper to come round and find him feeling her up. That would put a sizable dent in his campaign to have Pepper take him seriously. Tony wasn't exactly sure what to do next, so he patted her shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort her. "Pepper, are you okay?" To Tony's great relief Pepper's eyelashes flickered. _

"_Don't you know anything?" Pepper mumbled as she came round properly. "When people faint you're meant to put elevate their feet, not their head."_

"_Sorry," said Tony wrinkling his nose that was very close to hers as he leant over her, "not much experience with fainting."_

"_Sorry I was such a girl," said Pepper unevenly, looking embarrassed now as she looked up at him. _

"_I like that you're a girl," admitted Tony huskily. "In fact, I like it very much."Their eyes locked and suddenly Tony felt himself unable to breath. He slowly began to lower his head, intending to kiss her then._

"_You are unbelievable," said Pepper wide-eyed just before his lips touched hers. _

"_So are you," murmured Tony, his lips brushing hers as he was about to claim his prize at long last. _

"_Not in a good way!" she exclaimed, pushing hard on his chest and forcing Tony to roll off her. _

"_Careful," said Tony as she stood up and swayed badly. He reached out a hand to touch Pepper's leg and steady her but she shook it off._

"_You tried to kill me and then you try to kiss me!" she yelled at him. "What the hell is that, Tony?!"_

_Tony scrambled to his feet. "I didn't try and kill you, Pepper. It was an accident."_

_His protests didn't seem to pacify Pepper as an angry flush finally coloured her cheeks. "Your life is just full of accidents, isn't it?!" she raged at him. _

_Tony hesitated. "Is there any kind of answer to that question that will stop you yelling at me?" _

"_You want me to stop yelling?" asked Pepper tightly. "Fine, this is me not yelling." She turned on her heel and stalked back to the car and got in. The key was still in the ignition and she turned it over, the car roaring to life as Pepper floored the pedal. The wheels of Tony's convertible threw up pebbles and dust as Pepper pulled hard on the steering wheel, intent on making a fast getaway and leaving Tony standing there. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Wait," said Clint in confusion. "_This_ is the story of how you and Pepper ended up together? It sounds more like the story where she gets justifiable grounds for smothering you in your sleep."

Steve was nursing his own deep-fried onion flower now and he shook his head around a mouthful of the delicious treat. "Trust your courtship technique to involve bombs, Stark."

Tony held up a finger. "It was only one bomb," he reminded them. "And unfortunately it got a whole lot worse before it got better. The bomb was the easy part of the night."

Happy gave Tony a disgruntled look. "Oh yeah, because _you_ were the one that suffered that night. I mean, you got the girl at the end of it all, what did I get?"

Tony's lips twitched. "A bitchin' tattoo?"

Happy held up a warning finger and looked a little desperate. "We said we'd never speak about that again!"

"Wait," said Bruce, intrigued despite himself, "where does Happy come into all this?"

Happy arched an eyebrow and treated Tony to a pointed look. "Should I tell him or should you, boss?"

Tony smiled and leaned back against the velvet interior of their booth. "I'll do it, you'll just get it wrong." He scratched his cheek. "So, where was I? Oh yes, Pepper was speeding away from me in the roadster-"


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N****: Okay, so I would have posted this chapter yesterday but I left the file at work... I know, what are you gonna do, right? I fear my 19 days straight at work is starting to take its toll. Never mind, only another 7 days before I get a day off. Yippee. I think I'll spend the day unconscious. **

**So, this chapter, I think we're still on course for this history lesson to only be 3 chapters long... but the chapter following this one is when everything happens, so I just don't know at this point. Anyhoo, here's the chapter and I hope it makes some kind of sense... because I don't know if I am these days. **

**Laters...**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

A small frown touched Natasha's brow. "What about that event made you think Tony was a viable option for a partner?" she asked in confusion. "If it was me, I think I would have run him over with the car."

Pepper's lips quirked. "The thought did run through my mind," she said dryly. "Mostly I was just looking to put some distance between myself and the way Tony was making me feel."

"How did you feel?" asked Natasha curiously.

"That was the second time we'd almost kissed since I'd known Tony." Pepper pulled a face. "The first time Tony went to get me a drink and never came back. This time, I wanted to be the one who left. That man drives me crazy, and I didn't want to be that girl just then." She gave a little shrug. "Plus I had to go and check on the damage and call a few emergency services. Being Tony Stark's PA is a full time job."

"I know," said Natasha wryly.

Pepper gave a little laugh. "I suppose you do."

"So, did Tony catch you up later?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Tony caught me up sooner rather than later, as it turned out."

**oooOOOOooo**

_Pepper swung the wheel hard so she was now facing in the right direction as she made it back on the road. Her blood was pounding in her ears and she just needed some distance between Tony and that kiss. Why would he do something like that and why at that moment? Pepper was baffled. There had been a hundred moments between them since they'd been on that balcony together and almost kissed, why did Tony have to wait until they'd almost been killed? To Pepper the only answer was that he was running off adrenaline and poor impulse control and that was fine when he did that with all the other women in his life, but she wasn't going to be added to their number. Her lips tightened as she pressed the gas pedal to the floor. _

"_Pepper, WAIT!" _

_She heard Tony's cry from behind her at the same moment she'd pressed down on the gas and then suddenly Tony was launching himself at the car. He caught hold of the backseat of the convertible and hung on for dear life as Pepper sped off. _

_She looked back over her shoulder at him, driving too fast. "What are you doing?!" Pepper yelled at him. "Get out!" _

"_Stop the car!" Tony ordered her as he clambered into the back seat._

"_No!" she shouted back rebelliously, too angry and confused to really be all that rational. _

"_You're going to get us killed!" Tony exclaimed as Pepper made a wild swerve on the road and went out wide to take the next corner, forcing him to cling onto the headrest of the passenger seat. _

_Pepper turned her head and glared death at him. "Well, you're the expert on almost getting people killed," she threw back at him, "so I guess you know what you're talking about." Pepper was speeding along the road which would take them back around to connect with the main road leading to the front entrance of Tony's cliff top mansion. It was about a ten minute drive usually, but she was going to halve that time at least with the speed she was going. It actually felt good to do something reckless and have Tony trying to be the voice of reason for a change. Pepper could almost see why Tony enjoyed it so much. _

_Tony was attempting to get into the front seat. "Okay, you're upset, I can see that."_

_Pepper gripped the steering wheel tighter and kept her eyes on the road. "And do you have the first idea why I'm upset, Tony?" _

_She swerved again and Tony lost his balance, sliding face first into the front seat, his head now in the foot well. "Could it have something to do with the little bomb hullabaloo?" _

"_Almost being engulfed in a fireball isn't a hullabaloo, Tony," said Pepper tightly. _

_Tony struggled to get himself the right way up in the seat. "Anything that doesn't require hospitalisation is a hullabaloo," he said with great certainty, finally the right way up. He shook his head to clear it, eyes going a little wide as they weaved all over the road. Tony quickly put his seat belt on. "You know, if you're tired, I could drive for a bit, Pep." _

_Pepper smiled grimly. "Not so much fun when the shoe's on the other foot, is it?" _

"_The reactor thing was an accident," protested Tony as he held onto the dash to steady himself. "I wouldn't intentionally hurt you." _

_Her chin jutted out aggressively. "Then why did you try and kiss me?" _

_Tony looked at her in surprise. "How is me kissing you intentionally hurting you?" _

_Pepper ground her teeth at the genuine confusion she could hear in Tony's voice. He was intent on adding her to his list of conquests on what appeared to be a whim and then had the audacity to ask why that wouldn't hurt her. Pepper took the last corner leading to Tony's driveway too fast and they skidded out a bit, showering more dirt and dust everywhere before she regained control and pulled up at the foot of the driveway. Billowing smoke was coming from half of the house which thankfully had managed to not slip into the ocean below but most of the house still seemed to be intact._

_The sound of sirens could be heard off in the distance as the emergency services raced to their aid. The house was fitted with state of the art emergency equipment and the internal sprinkling system was doing a good job of dousing the worst of the flames but it was going to be an unholy mess to clean up after. Pepper turned off the ignition, her shoulders sagging at the realisation of the amount of destruction they'd just managed to escape. Her eyes drifted to the front of the house and saw the Rolls Royce parked out the front. Pepper gave a gasp of dismay. "Happy!" _

"_No, not really," said a miffed sounding Tony. "I'm kind of waiting for an answer to my question." _

_Pepper threw open her car door and bolted out, eyes on the singed man sitting on the front step of the house. "No, HAPPY!" she said urgently. _

_Tony finally noticed the other man and pulled a face. "Oops." He quickly got out of the car and followed after Pepper. "He's fine, don't worry, Pepper." _

_Pepper was crouching by Happy's side now and giving him an anxious look as she took his arm. "He's not alright, Tony, look at him." _

_Tony was kneeling down by Happy's other side and took his arm as well. "He's just a little singed, no biggy. You're fine, aren't you, Hap?" _

_Happy was looking between the two of them dazedly before blearily trying to focus on Tony. "Mom?" he rasped unevenly as he stared up at Tony. _

_Pepper gave a groan. "Oh no, he's got a concussion." _

"_Actually," said Tony casually, "that's not as out there as you might think. I've met Happy's Mom, and for a woman born into the age of electrolysis, she has a surprising amount of facial hair." _

"_Don't you dare makes jokes," said Pepper, her face flushed with anger. "You nearly killed Happy!" _

"_And you know what the most important word in that statement is, right?" said Tony blithely._

"_Killed?" bit out Pepper._

"_Oh, ah, actually I was thinking the 'nearly' was the important bit." _

_Pepper fumbled for her cell phone. "He needs an ambulance." _

"_Nonsense," said Tony, "he just needs to walk it off, don't you, big guy?" _

_Against Pepper's better judgement she helped Tony get Happy on his feet. He swayed a fair amount, but they both held onto an arm to support him. _

"_See," said Tony brightly, "what did I tell you?" _

_Pepper glanced at the back of Happy and gave another gasp of disbelief. "Oh my god, his clothes!" The entire back of Happy's suit had been burnt away along with the back of his boxers and exposing a sizable amount of flesh. _

_Tony gasped. "Oh my god, his ass! Could it be any whiter? For a guy born into an age with so many tanning options, there's just no excuse." _

"_Would you stop going on about being born into this age," she snapped at him. "Look what you did, Tony. So, do you still maintain this is only a hullabaloo after seeing the state of Happy?" _

_Tony gave the disorientated Happy the once over. "Alright, I'm upgrading from a hullabaloo to a kafuffle." _

_Pepper shook her head at him in frustration and turned her attention back to Happy. "Happy, can you hear me, are you alright?" _

_Happy gave her an unfocused look. "OH HEY, PEP," he shouted at her, his words a little slurred and uneven._

_Tony winced at how loud he was being. "I guess his hearing was affected by the blast." _

"_Do you think?" Pepper ground out sarcastically. _

_Happy was looking between them as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. "I FORGOT MY PHONE IN THE CAR AND I WENT BACK TO GET IT AND THEN, AND THEN-" He trailed off and looked lost as he struggled to put together what had just happened. "CAN ANYONE ELSE TASTE PURPLE?" _

_Pepper carefully patted his arm to comfort him. "It's alright, Happy, we're going to get you some help, don't worry." _

_Happy looked at her blankly. "WHAT?" _

"_She said don't worry," repeated Tony more loudly. _

_Happy shook his head. "NO, I DON'T FEEL LIKE A CURRY RIGHT NOW, BOSS." _

_Tony grimaced. "Definitely some hearing issues." _

"_This is bad," said Pepper, looking at Happy in concern. _

_Happy paused and looked even more confused. "IS ANYONE ELSE'S ASS COLD?" _

_The fire brigade had arrived by now and the men were running around, grabbing hoses and dousing out what remained of the fire. The fire chief hurried up to the three of them. "Is anyone else in the building?" he asked quickly. _

"_No," said Tony, "just Jarvis." _

_The fire chief looked concerned and Pepper shook her head. "It's fine, he's just a computer. There are no people inside." _

"_Do you know what happened?" _

_Pepper gave Tony a pointed look. "Shall I fill him on the kafuffle, or shall you?" She smiled sweetly at the bemused looking Chief. "We upgraded from a hullaballoo once we saw Happy. Do you want to write any of this down at all?" _

"_She's being sarcastic," Tony advised the other man._

"_You don't say?" said the Fire Chief flatly. _

"_We need to get Happy to a hospital," said Pepper fretfully as Happy started to sway in the breeze now. "He could have any kind of internal injury that we don't know about." _

"_I keep telling you he's fine-" _

"_I'D LOVE A WINE," interrupted Happy, looking at Tony hopefully._

"_NO WINE, HAPPY," said Pepper loudly. "WE THINK YOU HAVE A CONCUSSION. YOU HAVE TO GO TO HOSPITAL." _

_Happy blinked at Pepper and looked like he was already drunk. "ACTUALLY, PEP, I DON'T FEEL SO GOOD, MAYBE WE SHOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL INSTEAD?" _

_Pepper nodded her head emphatically and smiled up at him. "Yes, good call." _

"_The ambulance is on its way," the Chief informed them. "They'll be able to check him out on the way to the hospital." _

_Tony nodded approvingly. "Sounds like a plan. I'll stay here and oversee the fire control and Pepper, you can go in the ambulance with Shouty McYellerson here, and as soon as I've got this sorted, I'll meet you at the hospital," he directed her. Tony smiled his most charming smile. "And then they'll give Happy the all clear and we can all have a good laugh about this." _

_Pepper glared death at him. "You're the one with the brain injury if you think I'm going to get over this in a couple of hours, Tony Stark." _

"_But, it was an accident," he protested yet again. "These things happen." _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Do you think that's what they'll write on your grave?" asked Clint dryly. "These things happen?"

"I'm going to have 'told you I was sick' written on mine," said Bruce straight-faced.

"I'm going to have 'killed by Tony Stark' on mine," said Happy flatly.

Tony rolled his eyes at him. "Drama queen much, Hogan? You were mildly singed at worst."

"If I hadn't forgotten my phone and gone back to the car, I'd be sitting here dead right now," declared Happy dramatically.

"None of this is making sense," protested Steve. "How do you get from a barbequed Happy to a happily ever after Pepper? This story sounds more like the beginning of a law suit than a love story."

Tony looked smug. "The course of true love n'er did run smooth, young Steven. It took one wild night to change everything between Pepper and me."

Bruce snorted in disbelief. "There is no way you got Pepper into bed that night, I don't care how good of a sweet talker you think you are."

"I wish it was Pepper I spent that wild night with," sighed Tony.

Happy made a stoic face. "You and me both, boss, you and me both."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N****: Hey guys, yes, finally another chapter. I'm sorry it's taking me a couple of days between chapters. I normally like to update more frequently than that, but work is still kicking my butt. I'm only 2/3****rd**** of the way through a 3 weeks stint of working every day and it's really knocking me about a bit, and not leaving me much time to write. Plus, I'm trying to ward off a head cold as of this morning which I'm really bummed about because I can't have a day off until this coming Sunday, when I fully intend to collapse in a heap. **

**So yeah, not updating as quickly as I'd like, but on an up note, this chapter is quite long, so I guess that is something. I'm going to have to do another chapter of the Pepperony flashback to get it done as this one ended up being a lot of standing around and talking which I always enjoy writing and hopefully you'll enjoy from getting a Pepperony fix POV. ;) Just on that note, this flash back is set after IM1 but before IM2, just to line up the time line for you. So there has only been one attempted kiss before this flash back. **

**Okay, I'm off to take more vitamin C and go to bed early to try and nip this thing in the bud. Hope you enjoy and see you soon...**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Natasha leaned back in her chair and looked at Pepper in confusion. "So, Tony almost killed Happy. How is that a love story?"

Pepper half-smiled. "I was so mad at him. Tony can be so careless sometimes and he just doesn't understand why we lesser mortals should have a problem with that. I mean, I was used to it, of course, but on the heels of Tony having just tried to kiss me, it felt like it was all too much."

Natasha cocked her head and looked at Pepper intently. "Didn't you have any kind of inkling about Tony's feelings about you before then?"

Pepper thought about that question for a moment. "There was always something between us, right from the beginning. I knew he looked at me differently to other women and for a long time I just didn't look past that. It was what it was. Back then Tony had no intention of changing his partying ways and I knew one woman, no matter who she was, could never have held his interest for long." Her face creased in concern. "But when he came back from his captivity, he was different. I mean, he was still the impossible Tony I'd always known, full of ideas and impatient with people who couldn't keep up, but something had changed. I think he got a chance to take a long hard look at his life and what was important and he made some changes." Pepper gave a dry laugh. "Of course, most men would have looked at settling down and simplifying their lives but Tony opted for creating a larger than life alter ego intent on saving the world."

"Did you wish he'd chosen the settling down option?"

Pepper smiled. "I don't think my fantasies are wild enough to imagine a domesticated Tony Stark somehow. I think his time in captivity mainly just focused his mind and Tony chose what he wanted to do with the rest of his life rather than aimlessly bouncing from party to party and doing whatever he wanted at any given moment."

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that this is Tony not doing what he wants all the time?"

"Believe it or not, he is somewhat mellowed from how he used to be," said Pepper in amusement. "He's more flexible, on occasion."

"But none of this explains how everything worked out for you two," said Natasha. "What I'm hearing is that Tony hadn't changed enough for there to be a real chance of a relationship between you."

"That's what I thought," agreed Pepper, "but that night changed everything."

**oooOOOOooo**

_Pepper paced up and down the hospital hallway, waiting for word on Happy's condition. She put her hand to her head to push back a strand of random hair and realised that she must look a mess. Pepper quickly ran her hand through her hair and tried to get her hair back into some kind of order. She hated looking dishevelled but around Tony that was all she seemed to be. Why did the man have to be so damn destabilising? _

"_You look beautiful, don't worry about it." _

_Pepper jumped at the sound of the voice behind her and she turned around to see Tony standing there, smiling at her. Pepper frowned, embarrassed at being caught out. "How's the house?" _

_Tony strolled up to her, hands shoved in his jeans pockets and seeming to not have a care in the world. "It's not as bad as it looks." _

"_I find that hard to believe," said Pepper tersely. _

"_The lab isn't in good shape," he conceded, "but all of my suits are behind explosion proof glass and all my work is backed up on Jarvis, so it was just some infrastructure I lost." Tony wrinkled his nose. "And most of my cars." He sighed heavily. "I'm a bit bummed about that." _

"_Oh, so you care about the cars and not about Happy," said Pepper in annoyance. "You are the least empathetic man I know, Tony Stark." _

"_When did I say I didn't care about Happy?" he protested. _

"_You haven't asked about him," Pepper challenged him. _

"_Because I was answering your question," said Tony in exasperation. "I was being polite, Potts, you should give it a try some time." _

_Pepper glared at him. "Oh, don't you even," she warned him. "You're on thin ice today, buster." _

_Tony pursed his lips. "So, how is the Hapster?" _

"_I'm still waiting on news," said Pepper tightly. _

_Tony frowned and glanced at his watch. "It's nearly six o'clock, what's taking so long?" _

_Pepper bit her bottom lip, feeling the worry well up inside of her. "Maybe they've found something really wrong with him?" _

"_Happy is as strong as an ox," said Tony confidently. "I've done much worse things to him than this and he's been fine." _

_Pepper's lips tightened. "That's not a good thing, Tony." _

_He half shrugged. "I didn't say it was, but it's a fact. Remember when I had that chemical spill accident and Happy lost vision in one eye and both of his eyebrows?" _

_Pepper rolled her eyes. "Yes, you made him draw on the eyebrows with permanent marker." _

"_I had to, he always looked like he was asking me a question. It was really off-putting. Anyway, his vision came back along with his eyebrows and he's as good as new and this will be no different." _

_Pepper glared at him. "I don't think you understand how rough you are on your employees, Tony." _

_Tony's brow knitted in concern. "Are you including yourself in that statement, Ms. Potts?" _

"_You nearly killed me and then you nearly kissed me," said Pepper in exasperation. "What is a girl meant to make of that?" _

"_That I had a small lab accident and I wanted to kiss you." _

_Pepper put her hands on her hips. "And Tony Stark always gets what he wants, right?" _

"_Not if the last few hours are anything to go by," he said straight-faced. "Why wouldn't you let me kiss you, Pepper?" _

"_How can you ask me that question?" she asked in disbelief. _

"_Because I don't know the answer to it?" _

"_Oh, you know the answer to it." _

"_Clearly I don't, hence the question." _

"_You're kidding me, right?" _

"_If you want me to understand, you have to help me out." _

"_There are days when I seriously consider the fact that you might be retarded," Pepper bit out, unable to believe he was going to make her say the words. _

"_If I get a say in the matter, could we go with idiot savant instead?" _

_Pepper folded her arms in front of herself. "Only if you're happy with being half right." _

_He gave her a winsome smile. "Can I choose which half?" _

_Pepper just stared at him. _

_Tony grimaced. "Alright, I knew it was a long shot when I asked." _

"_You do everything on a whim," said Pepper in agitation. _

_Tony made an outraged face. "Name one thing I've done on a whim?" _

"_You decided all of your private jets should be red instead of silver because you wanted to start using the codename 'Red Robin' for your movements whenever you flew, you bought desert in Vegas because we were driving past it when you noticed you were having a really good hair day," Pepper's words were falling over themselves as she rapid fired out each of them. "You reprogrammed Jarvis to only speak in Portuguese for a week because you got tired of him in English, even though you don't speak Portuguese and then, my favourite, you announce to the world you are Iron Man without any kind of consultation with those around you whose lives you'd also be affecting!" _

"_I said name one thing," said Tony, not missing a beat. "That was a whole bunch. I'm claiming that as a moral victory." _

"_Then you're an idiot," said Pepper dourly. _

"_Ah, ah," he tutted, "idiot savant, remember?" _

"_I thought we agreed the savant was silent," said Pepper sweetly. _

_Tony grimaced. "Come on, Pepper, what do you want from me?" _

"_I want an explanation about why you tried to kiss me," she said sharply. _

_Tony looked at her intently, suddenly serious. "Because it's all I've been able to think about for months now and I couldn't wait another minute to do it." _

_Pepper's heart pounded away noisily in her chest at Tony's unexpected words. "What-what am I meant to do with you saying those kinds of things to me?" she asked him unevenly. _

"_What do you want to do with it?" he asked hopefully, eyes never leaving her face. _

"_I want to beat you over the head with them," she said without hesitation. _

"_Right," said Tony slowly, "not exactly what I was going for there." _

"_And what were you going for, Tony?" she asked aggressively. "Another notch in your belt, something to fill in fifteen minutes in your busy schedule, another whim?" _

_Tony looked genuinely shocked and even a little hurt. A hurt looking Tony tugged at Pepper's heart strings but she tried to resist it. There was too much at stake here. If she gave in to whatever fleeting urge Tony might be having, then it would change their relationship forever and it was the most important relationship she had in her life. _

"_How can you ask me those things?" he asked and then shook his head. "And fifteen minutes? Seriously, Potts, what kind of men have you been dating up until now? That's not even enough time to let a good bottle of wine come to room temperature." Tony took a step closer. "Pepper, I want us to take this-" he waved a finger back and forth between them, "-further." _

_Pepper looked at him wide-eyed. "What?" _

_Tony moved in closer still, so that they were practically standing toe to toe. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about what it would be like," he said softly. "How we'd be together." _

_Pepper struggled to find words. "Are you telling me you have thought about it?" _

"_I'm telling you I'd really like for us to try and see where this goes." Tony took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "I think we'd be good together, Pepper, better than good, great, brilliant, amazing even." _

_Pepper couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you talking about having a relationship, Tony?" _

_Tony blinked. "Um, okay, yes, I guess I am. I mean, I didn't actually use that word in my head, but yes, okay, I'm down with that, a relationship it is. Yes siree bob, a relationship, I can totally do that, it's not scary at all and after all, there is nothing to fear except fear itself and maybe that guy who claims he's Jesus' mom on the highway out of town-" _

"_Tony, you're babbling." _

_He pursed his lips. "I'm not unaware of that fact." _

"_You can't even say the word without becoming delirious," said Pepper in frustration. "Do you know what that tells me?" _

"_That I'm utterly adorable?" he offered up sweetly. _

"_What it tells me is that what you're really talking about here is sex." _

"_No, it isn't," he said quickly. "Look, it wasn't meant to be this complicated. I was meant to kiss you, we'd be swept up in the moment and decide to just do this thing already." _

"_I don't want to be swept up," said Pepper firmly. _

_Tony looked crestfallen at that news. "But that's what I do, I'm a sweeper, I sweep, therefore I am. It's the patented Tony Stark seduction move." _

_That was what Pepper had been afraid of. "I don't want to be an impulse or a challenge to you, Tony. You do realise that if we have sex, then everything would be different, right?" _

"_It'd be better," agreed Tony emphatically. _

"_Until you get bored with me," said Pepper tightly, "and then I'm meant to just stand around and watch you move on with your life while I get a front row seat to your next line of conquests." _

_Tony looked shocked. "That isn't how it's going to be, Pepper. I'm not looking for a challenge or a cheap thrill. I want something real, I want you." _

"_It's so easy for you to say those things but you have no idea what they mean," Pepper pointed out. "You've never had a serious relationship in your life." _

"_Just because I never have, doesn't mean I can't." He paused. "Theoretically." _

"_And you think you could be in a serious relationship with me?" asked Pepper. _

_Tony slipped his arms around Pepper's waist. "We've been in a relationship for eleven years, Pepper. I'm just talking about defining it a bit more." _

_It was so tempting to just say yes on the spot but Pepper was too used to being the grown up in the relationship. "Why now?" _

"_Why not now?" Tony countered. "I just keep thinking about that time we almost kissed on the balcony and wondering what would have happened if we both hadn't chickened out." He leaned in closer, warm breath on her face. "I'm want us to find out, Pepper. I want us to find out together." _

_Despite all her good intentions Pepper felt her eyes drift close as Tony moved in to kiss her, relaxing into his embrace and breathing in the smoky scent of the man. This close it was possible to see just how warm and brown Tony's eyes were, framed by those ridiculously long eyelashes that any woman would kill for. His nose nuzzled hers, letting her feel how close he was and holding off that moment before their first kiss, heightening the anticipation. Pepper's breath hitched as she felt the first scrape of Tony's lips against hers. _

"_Ahem." _

_The sound of a man clearing his throat had both of them starting and Pepper quickly stepping back out of Tony's arms as she noticed the doctor standing there. A faint blush coloured her cheeks as she hastily addressed him. "Oh doctor, good. How is Happy? Is he alright?" She hoped her voice didn't sound as trembling as the rest of her was. _

"_You're Mr. Hogan's family?" queried the doctor, looking between them. _

"_For all intents and purposes," said Tony, still staring at Pepper. "How is he?" _

"_Mr. Hogan has a few minor bruises and cuts and no signs of internal injury-"_

"_See," said Tony triumphantly, "I told you, he's fine." _

"_However he is still quite disorientated and we're giving him some medication for the pain," continued on the doctor. "He'll need to be closely observed for the next twelve hours. As long as he has someone to go home with, he doesn't need to stay in hospital." _

"_Thank you," said Pepper in relief. "Can we see him now?" _

_The doctor nodded. "The staff have just finished cleaning him up. I'll organise his discharge paperwork." _

_Pepper immediately headed for the examination room she knew Happy was in. _

_Tony was on her heels. "Ah Pepper, we haven't finished our conversation yet." _

"_I need to see Happy," she hedged, needing to put some distance between the intensity of the moment they' just shared. It was very easy to lose your head around Tony. Pepper walked into the cubicle which held Happy and she was immediately by his side. "Happy, how are you feeling?"_

_Happy gave her a big dopey smile as he looked up at her. "Shiny." _

"_That's the pain meds talking," the nearby nurse advised them. _

"_Well, shiny sounds pretty good," said Tony cheerily. "We'll get Happy home and then you and I can continue our discussion, Pepper, maybe over a good bottle of wine and-"_

"_Didn't you hear what the doctor said? Happy can't be left alone tonight. Someone has to stay with him." _

_Tony frowned. "Oh." He brightened. "That's okay, we can make a night of it. We'll take Happy home, tuck him into bed and then you and I can continue where we left off with me convincing you that we're a good idea." _

"_I can't, I have a date." _

_Tony looked stunned. "A what?" _

"_A date." _

"_A date date?" _

"_Yes, a date date." _

"_But how, when, where, why?" _

"_I'm not answering any of those questions," said Pepper determinedly. She'd met Kevin at a coffee shop and had gotten to talking over time and found they had a lot in common. When he'd suggested going to the opera to see La Boehme together it had sounded like it would be fun, so she'd said yes. "The point is, I can't look after Happy tonight." _

"_Who is it?" Tony demanded to know. _

"_You don't know him." _

"_I might, I know a lot of people." _

"_You don't know him," Pepper reiterated. _

"_Aha," said Tony, "so it's a him, okay, narrows it down." _

"_You don't know Kevin, so stop it." _

_Tony's brow furrowed. "Kevin, Kevin." He snapped his fingers. "Got it, is Kevin the airport security guard at that always says hello to you when we fly? You know, the one with all the tattoos." _

_Pepper looked at him funny. "You mean Fiona?" _

"_Wait, what, friendly tattooed guard is a woman?" _

"_Yes, she's a woman." _

"_Oh, so she's not Kevin then?" _

_Happy interrupted them as he stared at his hands which he was holding up to his face. "Whoa, check it out, guys, I've grown an extra finger on both hands." _

_Pepper and Tony looked at each other. "No, you've just got the usual five, Happy," Pepper corrected him. _

"_Pie sounds good, Pepper," he agreed, "but I don't know if I could eat five." _

"_And his hearing is still a little affected," the nurse chimed in. _

_Pepper patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Happy, we're going to take you home now and you can get some sleep." _

"_Well you're not," said Tony moodily, "you're off to have a gay old time with some guy named Kevin, if indeed that's even his real name." He gave her a suspicious look. "Where did you meet the guy anyway? On the internet? It's a scientific fact that eighty-seven percent of people who use the internet are serial killers." _

"_You just made that up," said Pepper in exasperation. _

"_Maybe, but are you willing to take the risk?" he countered. _

_Pepper turned to face Tony. "Do you know how you can convince me you're ready for the next step in this relationship, Tony?" _

"_I so want to say amazing, mind blowing sex," giving her a hopeful look. _

_Pepper folded her arms in front of herself. "That's the point, Tony. A real relationship isn't all about the sex. It has its hard moments where you really have to put yourself out and work hard at it and you've never had to do that before." _

"_You can't keep on holding my lack of experience against me, Pepper," he argued. "I've got to start somewhere." _

_She nodded. "That's just what I was thinking. Happy needs a chaperone for the next twelve hours. If you can look after him for twelve hours without becoming bored or distracted, then I'll consider the possibility that you might be serious about wanting more from our relationship." _

_Tony held up his hands in a protesting manner. "Hold on here. Are you suggesting I convince you of my sincerity about entering into a monogamous relationship while you're on a date with another man? Seriously?" He was just staring at her. "Seriously?" _

_Pepper gave him a defiant look. "No, I'm suggesting you convince me of your sincerity by going on a date with another man." She looked at Happy. "He needs you to be there for him, Tony and if you're incapable of that, I don't know how you think I could even contemplate-" _

"_Okay, okay," he interrupted her, "taking care of Happy, nothing could be simpler. If you want proof that it's not always about me, Potts, then watch and learn. I'm going to babysit the crap out of Happy and you're going to have to eat your words about me being a self-absorbed, non-empathetic, easily distracted and careless guy who is just looking for a quick thrill and take me seriously." _

"_We'll see," said Pepper calmly, "just make sure Happy doesn't get hurt." _

_Tony snorted. "Don't make this out to be brain surgery, Potts. I've got this." He turned around to Happy who was staring up at the light on the ceiling and trying to grab at it. "Come on, Happy, rise and shine, we've got something to prove to this Doubting Thomasina over here." Tony grabbed the bed, intending to throw it back and not realising it was actually a bottom sheet. He tugged on it hard and promptly tumbled the overly relaxed Happy straight out the other side of the bed. Happy hit the ground with a dull thud. "Oh crap," said Tony as rushed around to the other side to check on his friend. He pointed a finger at Pepper. "We haven't started yet," he said hurriedly, "that doesn't count." _

_Pepper closed her eyes, wondering if she'd just made a big mistake..._


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N****: Post and run tonight. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the brilliant people who have read, commented and favourited this story so far. You're all magic. :D **

**The Pepperony story is still going in this chapter and I'll need at least another one to wrap it up. Did I mention I was complete rubbish at predicting how long things take me in my stories? Well, I'm mentioning it now. Once we're through with the past, I promise, we'll be full speed back into the present and sorting out all of these pesky little problems for the Avengers... if which they're about to pick up a couple more. ;) But enough of that, let's get this chapter out of the way, and then we'll talk. **

**Later alligators. :D **

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

"And so I took Happy home and tucked him in all safe and sound and Pepper realised I was worth taking a chance on," Tony finished off breezily. His words were met with a circle of sceptical expressions.

Bruce leaned back in his chair and folded his arms in front of himself. "Forgive me for saying so, but that seemed a pretty anti-climatic ending to your story, Tony."

Thor nodded. "I am in agreement, Bruce Banner. Thy tale seemed oddly lacking in details."

Clint looked at Happy for the real story. "What really happened, Happy?"

Tony snorted. "Don't ask him, he was off with the fairies all night. It was me who really suffered."

"I find that unlikely," said Steve as he took another bite of the strawberry from his drink.

"Alright," Tony huffed, "let me tell you just how much I really had to endure that night."

**oooOOOOooo**

_Tony walked back into Happy's cubicle holding a t-shirt. "Okay, so I found you a shirt, but apparently they don't run to big 'n beefy in the pants department in the hospital gift shop. We'll have to make do with your hospital gown and this t-shirt until we get you home." _

_Happy wasn't listening, instead he was totally absorbed in looking at his feet as he sat on the side of the bed. _

_Tony shook his head. "Happy, are you listening to me?" _

_Happy looked up at the ceiling, trying to work out where the voice was coming from. _

_Tony snapped his fingers are him. "Over here, big guy, follow the noise." _

_Happy blearily attempted to focus on him. "Oh, hey boss, are you ready for me to drive you home now?" _

"_I think I'll do the driving tonight, Happy. For once I'm the less inebriated of the two of us." Tony stepped closer with the t-shirt. "Here, put up your arms." _

_Happy stuck his arms out in front of himself. _

"_No, up, up," Tony corrected him, pointing to the sky. _

_Happy brought his arms out to the side now as Tony made an exasperated noise and stuck his hands up in the air to show him. "No, up, like this." _

_Happy stuck his hands above his head, mimicking Tony but when Tony put his arms down to put the t-shirt on Happy, the other man lowered his arms as well. "No," said Tony in frustration, "you keep your arms up, Happy, up." _

_Happy looked up at the ceiling to see what Tony was talking about. _

"_Your arms, your arms have to be up." Tony showed him again with his own arms. _

_Happy stuck his arms out to the side. _

"_I'm not spending the night playing YMCA with you, Happy Hogan," said Tony in frustration. "Just sit still and don't move." _

"_Okay," slurred Happy and flopped backwards on the bed and seemed to fall asleep. _

_Tony rolled his eyes but it ended up being for the best because he was able to wrestle the t-shirt on Happy while the other man snored gently. When he was done, Tony poked his chest. "Okay, time to wake up and go home, Happy." Happy batted his hand away without opening his eyes. _

_Tony wrestled him into an upright position as the nurse appeared in the cubicle with a wheelchair. Her lips quirked in amusement. "Nice t-shirt." _

_Tony looked down at Happy's pink 'Who's your daddy?' t-shirt where the word 'daddy' was written in sparkly letters. "It was all they had in his size," Tony explained. He looked intrigued. "Which personally made me have a lot of questions about what kind of hospital you guys are running." Tony took in the wheelchair. "I don't need that."_

"_It's hospital policy," said the nurse patiently._

"_Oh," said Tony, "it's for Happy, right, I guess that makes sense. Do I need to sign anything else?" _

_The nurse shook her head. "No, he's all yours, just remember not to leave him alone tonight and that he might exhibit some erratic behaviour. Painkillers can have some odd effects on some people." _

_Happy was poking at his chest, trying to focus on the glittery letters on his chest. "Pretty," he slurred. _

"_Yes, you're gorgeous," Tony assured him, taking in his tight fighting t-shirt and the fact that the rest of his outfit was the bottom half of a hospital gown which opened at the back. "Now you just need to get into the wheelchair." _

_The nurse got on one side of Happy and Tony was on the other and they guided him down into the chair. Tony smiled at her. "Thanks for the help, but I've got it from here." _

_The nurse bent down and patted Happy's shoulder. "I hope you're feeling better soon, Mr. Hogan." _

"_I like donuts," Happy informed her, still looking pretty dazed. _

"_The woman has seen you naked, Happy, I think she knows that," Tony informed him. "Okay, here we go." With a last nod at the nurse Tony pushed Happy out of the hospital room and into the corridor. Tony's mind was still ticking over about Pepper being on a date right then. He was racking his brain to think of all the Kevin's he knew, which was actually none. Tony pushed Happy along the halls of the hospital, intent on getting to the car park and driving the other man home so he could investigate this Kevin situation more fully. He glanced down at Happy who now had his arms out and was making aeroplane noises as he glided down the hospital corridors courtesy of Tony and the wheelchair. Maybe Happy might know who this Kevin guy was. "Happy." _

_Happy stopped his aeroplane noises to bend his neck right back to look at Tony upside down. "Sad." _

_Tony shook his head as Happy seemed to think they were playing some kind of game. "No-"_

"_Yes," responded Happy gleefully. _

"_Stop-"_

"_Start." _

"_Pepper-"_

"_Salt." _

_Tony blew out an exasperated breath and tried another tack. "Kevin-"_

"_Twelve," said Happy without hesitation. _

_Tony frowned. "What? No, not eleven, Kevin." _

"_Bacon," responded Happy instantly. He paused and smacked his lips together. "Bacon." _

"_You can't have anything to eat until tomorrow morning," Tony cautioned him as he manoeuvred the chair into the waiting elevator. "The doctor said so." He hesitated. "Or did he say you had to eat something before tomorrow?" Tony shook his head. "No, it was definitely the not eating thing." He blinked. "Probably." Damn, he wasn't used to paying attention to other people talking, that was what Pepper usually did for him but Tony was determined to prove her wrong about her opinion on his inability to change his ways. The elevator dinged opened as they arrived at the underground car park. Tony wheeled Happy out and headed towards the car. "Okay, Hap, tomorrow when Pepper asks who took such good care of you, what are you going to say?" _

"_Bacon." _

"_No, not bacon, you're going to say Tony," he schooled him. "Tony looked after me and took great care of me, say it, say Tony." _

"_Tony," slurred Happy. _

"_That's right, I've got a lot riding on this, Happy, so any question you get asked, the answer is always going to be Tony, got that?" _

"_Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony," babbled Happy. _

"_Too much of a good thing, Hap," Tony tried to calm him down. He drew up beside the car and stopped a little too suddenly for his relaxed passenger and Happy simply tumbled out of the wheelchair and face planted on the concrete car park floor. "Oh crap, would you stop doing that," requested Tony in frustration as he hurried around to help Happy up and trying not to look at his bare ass which was on full display thanks to his less than discrete hospital attire. Tony sat Happy up and grimaced as he saw the other man now had skin missing from his forehead and a graze on his chin. "Okay," said Tony quickly, "if Pepper asks what happened to you face you say-" _

"_Tony," supplied Happy dutifully, remembering his lessons, blinking vacantly._

"_No," said Tony urgently, "not Tony, say Happy went down on the ground by accident." _

_Happy managed an abbreviated version. "Tony went down," he mumbled._

"_No, no, Happy, you have to say Happy."_

"_Tony went down on Happy." _

_Tony pulled his face. "Okay, definitely don't say that otherwise Pepper and I'll never get together. We'll work on it in the car." He hauled Happy to his feet and bundled him into the back seat of his roadster. _

_Happy sprawled in the back seat, eyelids drooping. "Bacon," he muttered to himself and smacked his lips again. _

_Tony grimaced. "Boy, I sure hope you're thinking about the food group now and not the actor anymore, because that's more than I ever needed to know about your private life, Happy." _

"_Bacon," was his only response followed by a garbled, "Tony," as he seemed to drift off to sleep._

_Tony shook his head and reminded himself that Pepper was worth all this trouble and a whole lot more. He climbed into the driver's seat and negotiated his way out of the car park and pointed the car in the direction of Happy's house. As he drove, Tony dialled a familiar number. It was picked up after the first ring. "Rhodey, it's me." _

"_Oh hey," said Rhodey easily, "I was just about to call you. The news is reporting there was some kind of explosion at your house today. Is that right?"_

"_That was hours ago," said Tony dismissively. _

"_So there was an explosion?" he said in exasperation. "Was anyone hurt?" _

"_No, not really." _

"_What does that mean?" _

"_It means Happy needs a new suit." _

"_Now what does that mean?" _

"_It means everything is fine," said Tony brusquely, not really caring about his house right then. "Rhodey, do you know any Kevins?" _

_There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Your phone calls are becoming more and more random, Tony," came the dry reply. _

"_Kevins," Tony repeated impatiently, "do you know any Kevins?" _

"_In what context?" _

"_In the context of one wanting to date Pepper." Just saying the words made him more annoyed. How could Pepper go on a date when they'd just almost kissed? It made no sense. _

_Tony heard Rhodey sigh on the other end of the phone call. "Tony, Pepper is a grown woman, she can date whoever she likes, you don't get a say in that." _

"_We kissed today," blurted out Tony._

"_You did?" The surprise was evident in Rhodey's voice. _

"_We almost kissed," Tony relented, "and now I have to take Happy home to bed." _

"_I mentioned these phone calls were getting more random, right?" _

"_It's perfectly simple," said Tony in irritation at how long it was taking his friend to understand all of this. "I have to prove to Pepper that I'm not a flake by looking after Happy who may have a slight concussion which may or may not have been the results of a tiny little incident in the lab today." _

"_That tiny little incident registered on our military satellites," said Rhodey wryly. "What happened exactly?" _

"_I tried to kiss Pepper and she pushed me away," said Tony in agitation, "and then she tried to kill me with my own car." _

"_Are you drunk?" _

"_No," Tony snapped as he pulled up at the lights._

"_Am I, because none of this is making sense to me?" _

"_You're being very evasive," said Tony suspiciously. "You know this Kevin guy and you're trying to protect him, aren't you?" _

"_I'm being confused," Rhodey shot back, "and if I knew who this Kevin person was I would be definitely protecting him from your crazy right now." _

"_You are the least helpful of my friends right now and your only competition is a guy with his ass hanging out and a bacon fixation." said Tony dourly. "Think about that for a moment." _

"_Are you even speaking English anymore?" asked Rhodey in exasperation. "I swear, Tony, sometimes talking to you is like having a stroke." _

"_So you don't know any Kevins?" asked Tony impatiently. _

"_None that Pepper would be interested in," agreed Rhodey. "Tony, are you going to tell me what this is all about?" _

"_I've got to go. I'll call you tomorrow." Tony hung up abruptly. "Looks like it just you and me against the world, Happy." He glanced in the rear vision mirror as he spoke and then did a double take as he realised Happy was no longer in the car. Tony spun around, looking all around. "Happy!" he called out, just as the light turned green and the cars behind started to honk for him to start moving. Out of the corner of his eye Tony caught a flash of white further down the street and he leaned out of the car to see Happy's brilliant, bare backside bobbing down the street as he ran off in the opposite direction. "Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Tony exclaimed in distress as his charge bolted off down the street. The other cars were honking noisily at him now and Tony quickly sat back in the driver's seat and knowing there was no way to turn the car around in the one way street, he simply drove it up onto the sidewalk. Tony jumped out of the car and raced off after Happy, trying to catch him before the night got any worse. _

_Wishful thinking._


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N****: Ug, so, still going with the Pepperony flashback and I'll need one more chapter to wrap it up. I know, I'm hopeless. LOL **

**I'm finally on my day off today, so I'm hoping the muse will co-operate and let me post a chapter tomorrow as well. :D I really want to get this show on the road with this story. **

**I promise in the next chapter, there will be a lot more of Pepperony being in the actual same scenes together. ;) **

**Toodles... **

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

_Tony ran along the street, frantically looking all around amongst the throng of people filling the streets on a Friday night as they moved between the clubs and restaurants in the areas. It wasn't exactly a great part of town and Tony had lost sight of Happy when the other man had turned a corner and now he was trying not to panic. A dazed and half-naked Happy roaming the streets of LA's somewhat seedy underbelly wasn't a tale that was likely to end well. Tony tried not to think what Pepper would have to say about his inability to even get Happy home safely. Somehow he suspected going with a 'releasing Happy back into the wild' angle wasn't going to cut it. Who knew keeping tabs on one guy could be this hard of a job? _

_Tony was running towards the less well lit part of the area now, and the people were starting to look a little odder now, dressed in their clubbing outfits, which was even more of a problem for Tony, because at least before Happy really stood out. Tony ran up to a group of what were undoubtedly hookers standing by one of the street corners. "Excuse me, ladies," he said, a little out of breath, "have any of you seen a man who could stand to lose a few pounds and yet is still surprising nimble guy run past here with his ass hanging out and a sparkly 'Who's your daddy' t-shirt on?"_

_The caramel-skinned woman wearing a bright red wig and tangerine coloured lipstick smiled at him in amusement. "Oh, hon, around here, that describes half our clientele." _

"_He might be talking about bacon," offered up Tony hopefully. _

"_I saw that guy," volunteered a little blonde woman in a pair of hot pants which revealed detailed tattooing all down her leg and thigh. "He was heading towards the hamburger joint across the road." _

"_Thank you, thank you," said Tony gratefully and reached into his pocket and pulled out a few hundreds and passed them to the women. "Buy yourselves something warm to put on," he said solicitously. "It's getting chilly out here and I wouldn't want you ladies to catch a cold." _

_The blonde looked at her hundred bill and laughed. "That's a first, a man paying us to put clothes on." _

_Tony was already running across the street. "I like to be unexpected," he called back over his shoulder. _

"_You go get your man, daddy," called back the statuesque red-head encouragingly. "And remember, true love always triumphs." _

_Tony contemplated going back to tell the woman that he was doing this for true love, but it wasn't Happy related and then decided he didn't have the time. The smell of hamburger meat cooking filled his nostrils and it was undoubtedly what had drawn Happy's attention. Tony stuck his head into the brightly lit burger joint and didn't see Happy. He made a frustrated noise and walked up and down the pavement in front of the takeaway restaurant, looking up and down the street. A movement at the end of the alley to the left of the burger place caught Tony's attention and he did a double take. He could make out the glow of a white hospital gown at the end of the dim alley way and Tony knew his luck had at last changed for the night. He ran down the alleyway just in time to see Happy fish something out of the overflowing trash cans by the side door of the burger place. Happy raised the half-eaten burger to his mouth just as Tony got to him and slapped the food scraps out of his hand. "NO!" he yelled at him. "We don't eat out of the trash, Happy," said Tony sternly. _

_Happy seemed confused as to where his pre-loved burger had gotten to, looking at his empty hand fuzzily. "Bacon?" he said forlornly. _

_Tony rolled his eyes. "Are you really that hungry?" _

_Happy attempted to focus on Tony, finally seeming to realise he was there. "Tony," he said abruptly, remembering what the other man had told him to say when asked a question. "Tony, Tony, Tony." _

"_I'm going to assume that was a yes," said Tony dryly. "Okay, here's the deal, Yogi Bear. I'll call your doctor and see if he'll give us the green light on you having something to eat as long as you promise me no more running away. Do we have a deal?" _

_Happy blinked first with one and then the other. "Tony," he replied and then for good measure, "bacon." _

"_Right." Tony pulled out his cell phone and was forced to walk back onto the street to get a signal. He dialled the hospital number and after a bit of being transferred around, he finally managed to speak to the doctor who had been treating Happy. "Oh hey, doc, this is Tony Stark." _

"_Yes, Mr. Stark, is there a problem?" _

"_No, not really," said Tony as he glanced back down the alley way to see Happy was walking towards him, another half-eaten burger in his hand and he was chewing. "No, Happy!" he exclaimed. "Spit it out!" Tony ran up to Happy who had a big grin on his face as he was chewing away, clearing having no intention of doing any such thing. Tony thought quickly. Before the other man could swallow, he grabbed at the tuff of chest hair poking out of the top of pink, sparkly t-shirt. Happy gave an involuntary squawk and as he opened his mouth, Tony whacked him on the back of the head. The half-masticated burger shot out of Happy's mouth and made an unpleasant looking puddle on the sidewalk as Tony made a grab for the rest of the burger. "No eating out of the trash!" Tony reiterated forcefully as Happy's lower lip began to quiver. Tony groaned. "Oh God, don't cry now." _

_Happy made a loud snuffling noise as he teared up but tried not to actually cry. _

"_I'm trying to get you food, Happy," Tony tried to console him. "You just have to be patient." _

"_Bacon," whimpered Happy. _

"_Mr. Stark?" The muffled voice of the doctor could be heard coming from Tony's cell phone. _

_Tony quickly put his cell phone back to his ear. "Yes, I'm still here." _

"_Is everything alright, Mr. Stark?" _

"_Ah, yeah, just, um, the TV is on." _

_There was a very long pause on the other end of the phone. "I see," the doctor said at last in a tone which rather implied otherwise. _

"_I was just wondering how long before I can give Happy something to eat?" said Tony quickly, turning his attention back to the call. "He seems a bit peckish." _

"_He could have a small meal of something light by now." _

"_Bacon?" _

"_Oh, well, I suppose, just not very much of it. Some people can end up getting a bit nauseous from a head wound and it's better if they don't have too much in their stomachs." _

"_But I can give him some bacon and it won't kill him," Tony pushed for clarification. _

"_No, just don't make it too much." The doctor paused. "Mr. Stark, Mr. Hogan is taking it easy, isn't he? I mean, he has a possible head injury and he should really be resting now." _

"_Of course he's resting," said Tony indignantly. "What do you think, we're out roaming the streets together or something?" _

"_No, of course not," said the doctor hastily. "Obviously that would be insane." _

_Tony felt a flash of guilt that he hadn't managed to get Happy home yet but couldn't take the risk that Pepper might speak to the doctor tomorrow and didn't want to incriminate himself in this conversation. "Happy is tucked up on the sofa taking it easy," lied Tony. "Aren't you Happy?" He turned around to address Happy, only to find the other man was no longer there. Tony's heart lurched in his chest. "Gotta go," he blurted out, "the commercials are over and our show is back on." Tony hung up before the doctor could say anything else and managed to catch sight of Happy way up ahead of him, running down the street and undoubtedly in search of more bacon. Tony groaned loudly and started to run after him, wondering how this night could get any worse. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"So, you went on a date with another man and left Tony in charge of a delirious Happy," said Natasha slowly. "Okay."

Pepper wrinkled her nose prettily. "When you say it like that, it does sound a little weird." She played with a stray strand of hair absently. "I just needed some time and space to think. The last thing I'd expected that day was Tony telling me he wanted a serious relationship with me and I don't think he was expecting to declare it either. It just sort of happened and I felt what we were risking was way too important to do so on a whim."

Natasha was looking at her with interest. "How was your date?"

Pepper smiled fondly. "It was perfect. Kevin was wonderful company, attentive, funny and it was a lovely night. The restaurant he'd chosen was perfect, the opera was brilliant. There was nothing more I could have asked for in a date or a companion."

"But?" Natasha encouraged her. "I mean, there has to be a but, otherwise you and Tony wouldn't be together now."

Pepper half-smiled. "Kevin took me to a nearby coffee shop after the opera and it was nice to just unwind and not have to think for a moment. He was uncomplicated, easy company and I could see myself having a future with him, or at least, with a man like him." Pepper could see the confused look on Natasha's face. She smiled. "There was a TV on in the coffee shop, playing in the background. In the middle of Kevin asking me all about myself, who should pop up on the screen but one Anthony Stark."

"Tony was on TV?" asked Natasha in disbelief. "Why?"

"The sound wasn't on but there were captions and it read 'Tony Stark chases half-naked man down LA streets'," said Pepper in amusement. "There was footage of Tony chasing after Happy in some clubbing district. At least I assume it was Happy, all anyone could really see was a naked butt."

Natasha looked even more confused. "How did that happen? All Tony had to do was drive the guy home."

Pepper sighed. "Oh, who knows? It was just so typically Tony though. Nothing is ever straightforward or expected, everything is just a wild ride." Her expression became distant as Pepper remembered that exact moment. It was like she was being shown two clear roads to take in her life to choose between. On one hand she could have a life that a man like Kevin offered, one that was safe and secure and be all the things Pepper had always envisaged her life turning out like. And then there was Tony. Things were never going to be simply or straightforward between them. It was going to be as messy as hell and an adventure that Pepper would have no kind of control over. She was a control freak, so the thought of having so many things in her life which she couldn't control had always terrified her but in that moment Pepper had realised that something inside of her had changed over the years. Being with Tony had changed her and Pepper had a moment of clarity where she realised that she liked those changes. Tony may still have been a wild card, but the thought of having a safe, predictable life no longer held the appeal it once did. Pepper hadn't been convinced that Tony knew what he wanted at the beginning of that night, but she now knew what she wanted.

"And you chose the wild ride," Natasha prompted her.

Pepper gave a small smile of remembrance. "Oh yes," she said huskily, "in the end, there was no kind of choice at all."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve was giving Happy a vaguely disgusted look. "You were eating out of the trash?"

"That's the story he tells," said Happy defensively. "I don't remember any of it."

"Why would I make that up?" Tony protested.

"I do not understand courtships in this realm," sighed Thor. His blond brow furrowed in concern. "Perhaps I should not woo Jane Foster after all."

"Don't let Tony's story put you off, Thor," Bruce advised him. "In no way is this the typical way a guy gets a woman's attention."

Tony waved a dismissive hand at them. "Say whatever you will, because in the end, I got the girl."

"How?" asked Clint in disbelief.

Tony hesitated. "I have no idea," he admitted at last.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Tony wrestled the shopping trolley with the snoring Happy out of the elevator in Happy's apartment block. It had just gone three o'clock in the morning and Tony was exhausted. He felt like he'd run a marathon on his hunt to find Happy and when he had eventually tracked him down it was to find that he was fast asleep. The shopping trolley had been the only way to get him back to the car in the end, provided by an accommodating homeless man named Hank who lived down one of the many back alley's Tony had frequented that night. He wheeled Happy up to his apartment door, unlocked it and pushed his slumbering chauffer through the door. Tony didn't bother with lights, not wanting to risk waking Happy and his wandering feet again that night. Using the trolley, he took Happy straight to his bedroom and tipped him unceremoniously into the bed. Happy made a dull thud noise as he hit the soft bed, but at least this time he didn't connect with the floor and Tony was taking that as a small win on a night of what had been mostly fails if he was being honest. Tony tucked the still snoring Happy into bed and blew out an exhausted breath as he looked down at his sleeping friend. "Sure, look innocent now," he grumbled. Tony pointed an accusing finger at him. "You were a nightmare tonight, Happy Hogan." _

_Happy rolled over onto his side. "Bacon," he mumbled before falling back asleep. _

"_Bacon indeed," agreed Tony wholeheartedly as he shook his head and gave Happy an affectionate look. He ran a tired hand through his hair and left Happy to it. Tony wandered out into the living room and made a beeline for Happy's fridge, deciding he'd more than earned a stiff drink tonight. He opened the fridge door, the light illuminating the serviceable kitchen as he rooted around in the contents for something cold and alcoholic. _

"_Happy keeps his alcohol in the cabinet in here." _

_Tony started violently at the unexpected voice volunteering the information, banging his head on the top of fridge compartment. "OW!" he yelped complainingly, pulling his head out of the fridge and rubbing on the part he'd just injured. Tony walked back into the living room just as Pepper turned on the light beside the sofa she was curled up on. His eyes went wide at seeing her there, mind instantly racing. "Pepper," he rasped, words falling over themselves to explain, "we've been here all night but Happy wanted to get some fresh air and-" _

_Pepper wordlessly held up her phone to him. _

_Tony squinted at the little image and immediately recognised himself and Happy's bare ass on screen. _

"_Tony Stark indulged in a little hide and seek tonight with someone who looks suspiciously like his long time chauffer, Happy Hogan and clothing appeared to be optional," declared the commentator. "The billionaire, often known for his eccentric behaviours was seen chatting with prostitutes and homeless people throughout the course of the night and after the reported explosion at his home earlier that day, it's got us wondering if this is Mr. Stark's version of a midlife crisis or just another day in the life of an eccentric billionaire turned superhero-"_

_Pepper shut the phone off and arched an eyebrow at him. _

"_Damn it," growled Tony, "don't those TMZ guys ever sleep?" He looked at Pepper who was regarding him steadily. "Okay," said Tony, holding up his hands in a placating fashion, "cards on the table. I may have temporarily misplaced Happy for a teeny tiny portion of tonight but as you can see, I got him home safe and sound eventually." _

"_In a shopping trolley," she noted. _

_Tony couldn't read her face and it was unnerving him. "I bought it from a guy named Hank, he was using it to move his stuff around. I gave him a thousand dollars for it. Hank seemed happy with the trade." _

"_I see." _

_Tony was really frightened in that moment that he'd ruined any chance he'd ever have with Pepper. He sat down on the sofa, heart pounding in his chest. "Look," he said urgently, "I know tonight didn't go exactly to plan, but you have to give me a second chance, Pepper. I usually don't get things right the first time, I need to fine tune new things. Like, remember the suit? How many holes did I blast in the wall and fires did I start before I got a handle on that and now look how great it is?" Tony just needed Pepper not to write them off as an impossibility based on tonight. "I tell you what we're going to do, I'll give Happy another concussion next week and then look after him and you'll see, Pepper, I'll be amazing at it," he pleaded with her. "You can't just throw away what we have between us just because I accidentally let one guy eat out of the trash and kiss a man-" _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Wait, what?" Happy sat up straighter in his seat and looked at Tony in horror. "I kissed a man? Why, how, when?"

"You're ruining the flow of my story," Tony complained. "And don't worry, I don't think there was any tongue." He paused. "Although the guy was pretty handsie now that I think about it."

"You let me get sexually molested?" asked Happy in distress.

"Hey, you walk into a gay bar and do a strip tease, you can't blame the guy for thinking you were up for it."

Happy's eyes were almost bugging out of his head. "What?" he squeaked.

"Didn't I mention any of this?" asked Tony blithely. "I thought I mentioned all of this before to you."

"Oh my God," said Happy weakly, clutching his fire extinguisher closer to his body. "I feel so dirty."

"Oh please," snorted Tony, "you were a big hit and you made over a hundred dollars."

"That's where that money came from?" said Happy in distress. "I wonder why I woke up with all those one dollar bills beside the bed."

Clint clicked his fingers impatiently at them a couple of times. "Back to the story, what did Pepper say after she caught you lying and prostituting out Happy?"

Happy glared at Tony. "And did you just say you offered to give me another concussion?"

"True love has to have some suffering in it," Tony declared.

"Yeah," snapped Happy, "but why does it have to be _my_ suffering?"

"That's just the way the love cookie was crumbling," said Tony unapologetically. He gave Clint a thoughtful look. "You seem very interested in this story, Clint, not planning on doing some wooing of your own, are you? Maybe with a certain red-headed spy?"

Clint gave him an unimpressed look. "If I was looking to woo a woman, this story would be a list of all the things not to do."

"Hurtful," sniffed Tony.

"But essentially accurate," concluded Bruce as he motioned to the waitress for another onion flower.

"Finish thy story, Tony Stark," Thor encouraged him. "What words did you use to secure thy maiden's heart?"

Tony thought about that for a moment. "Actually, things seemed to go better when I stopped talking," he admitted, still hazy on what exactly had happened that night himself.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N****: Yay, finally gotten this Pepperony flash back finished. :D I'm not overly thrilled with this chapter though unforutnately. These were scenes I've had in my head for a long time but I don't think they've played out as funny or romantic as I hoped. Oh well, sometimes that is the way the cookie muse crumbles. **

**One of my reviewers was worried about Tony eating strawberries and this chapter addresses that, which was my plan all along... it just took me so dang long to get through the chapters. Never mind, done now. The next chapter has us back into some action (hopefully) and more Avenger stuff, so fingers crossed that will come together nicely as we pick up all the threads of this story and dive into finding out what exactly is JH's magnificent octopus. ;) **

**Hope to see you soon... **

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

_Tony was leaning in towards Pepper as they both sat on Happy's sofa and he was desperate for her not to end something between them that hadn't even started yet. "You can't just throw away what we have between us just because I accidentally let one guy eat out of the trash and kiss a man. You've got to let me have a run up to these things because-" Tony didn't get to finish pleading his rushed case as Pepper suddenly moved forward on the sofa and pressed her lips against his. Tony was surprised into silence as her soft lips touched his and he was immediately lost in the kiss. _

_He had no idea what it meant but this first kiss was more amazing then the many times he'd fantasised about it. Pepper's hands were in his hair now, dragging him deeper into the kiss and Tony went willingly. Her lips parted and he had the first proper taste of her and found himself instantly addicted. There was no way he could do without more of these kisses now. It was so tempting to just lose himself in Pepper's kisses, but his brain wouldn't turn off, screaming at Tony to find out what this meant. He reluctantly ended the passionate kiss, looking at Pepper with eyes wide with confusion. "Not that I didn't love every millisecond of that," he said unevenly, "but is that a hello or a goodbye kiss?" _

_Pepper's lips curved up in a little smile. "What did it feel like?" _

"_Like my new drug of choice," Tony rasped honestly. His eyes dropped to her lips while he unconsciously licked his own lips. "And I've got this sudden desperate need to self-medicate but-" _

"_But?" she pushed him softly. _

_Tony dragged his eyes back to meet Pepper's serene gaze. "But I need to know what this means," he said hoarsely. "Pepper, I'm not playing a game here. I know you probably don't believe that and I haven't given you much reason to trust anything I say when it comes to women, but I want a chance to prove that I am serious about you." He grimaced as he glanced over her shoulder at the door to Happy's bedroom. "I mean, another chance." Tony frowned, brain starting to fill up with even more questions. "How long have you been here waiting for us? How did you get in? What happened to Steven?" His face lit up with a hopeful expression. "He wasn't tragically killed in some kind of opera-related mishap, was he?" _

"_It's Kevin and what on earth is an opera-related mishap?" asked Pepper in amusement. _

_Tony gave a little shrug. "I don't know, he could have been gored by the fat lady wearing the hat with the horns." _

"_You're banned from the opera," Pepper informed him. _

"_So, Kevin's not dead then?" he asked unhappily. Tony's face brightened. "But the date sucked, right?" _

_Pepper gave a little shake of her head. "No, the date was perfect." _

_The feeling of a knife being twisted in Tony's chest made him grimace. "I see," he said dully. _

_Pepper cupped his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "But you know what I realised tonight, Tony? I realised I don't want perfect, I want you." _

_Tony blinked a couple of times, taking a moment to take in what Pepper had just said. "Was that the best insult I've ever gotten in my life?" he asked uncertainly. _

"_I don't know," said Pepper, scrutinising him closely. "It depends on how serious you are about wanting to make a go of us." _

"_I'm serious," said Tony hastily. "I'm all the way serious, Pepper." _

"_Why?" she asked quietly. "Why me, Tony?" _

"_Because you know me inside and out and you're still here," said Tony honestly. "Because my day doesn't start until I see you or hear your voice and you're the only person who I really care what they think of me. The only other person was my dad and I just ended up disappointing him and I don't want to disappoint you, Pepper." _

"_Your dad loved you, Tony," she corrected him quietly, "and you didn't disappoint him." _

_Tony leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm a mess, you know that, right?" _

_Pepper gave a little laugh. "I know." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're a beautiful, crazy mess, Tony Stark, I've always known that." _

_Tony's brow furrowed slightly. "Then why would you want to take a chance on me?" he rasped. "I can't even look after Happy for a couple of hours. I'm going to be so much hard work." _

_Pepper just smiled. "You're already hard work, Mr. Stark and I've never been afraid of that. And you showed me something tonight, when I saw you chasing Happy down that street on TV. You showed me you could put yourself over someone who is important to you. I always knew you had the capacity to do that, but you'd never really had the opportunity. You could have given up on Happy when the going got tough but you didn't and you showed me you're willing to put in the work, even if things aren't always smooth sailing." _

"_I'd chase your naked butt down any street in the world," declared Tony, realising that this was really going to happen and feeling a nervous excitement well up inside of him. _

_Pepper pulled a face. "Let's hope it never comes to that." _

_Tony gave her an adoring look. "You know I'm crazy about you, right?" _

"_I know you're crazy," she returned cheekily. Pepper moved in closer. "How about you convince me of the other?" _

"_Gladly," said Tony throatily as he drew her into a passionate kiss. He pulled Pepper onto his lap without breaking the kiss, unable to believe that this night of horror was actually going to end on a high note, the best of all notes really. Tony was just so in awe of the woman in his arms that he never wanted to let her leave them again. _

**oooOOOOooo**

"Tell me you two didn't have sex on my sofa," Happy demanded.

"Of course not," said Tony indignantly. "Pepper is a lady and besides someone-" he gave Happy a pointed look, "ruined the mood."

"Oh, so sorry my emotional distress ruined your mood," said Happy dourly.

"You were home in bed finally, Happy," pointed out Clint. "What could have happened to you now that was worse than the rest of the night?"

Happy grimaced. "I woke up."

**oooOOOOooo**

"_AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"_

_Tony jerked back from their kiss at the first sound of the loud scream. He looked at Pepper. "Was that you?" _

_Pepper's face was creased in concern. "Something is wrong with Happy." She scrambled off his lap and started towards the bedroom._

"_There better be," Tony scowled, annoyed at being interrupted in this newfound delight of kissing Pepper Potts, "otherwise he's a dead man." _

_Happy staggered out of the bedroom, face pale and distressed._

"_Happy," said Pepper quickly, going to take his arm, "what's wrong? Why did you scream?" _

"_I've got a tattoo," he said shakily but sounding more with it then he had all night, "on my ass." _

_Tony had hoped he'd have a bit more time on this one but he tried to bluff his way out of it anyway. "That's always been there," said Tony dismissively. _

"_I think I know my own ass better than you, Tony," bit out Happy. _

_Tony made a forlorn face. "Sadly, after tonight, I don't think that is true any longer." _

_Pepper was treating him to one of her famous disapproving looks. "Tony, how on earth did Happy end up with a tattoo tonight?" She gave Happy a curious look. "What kind of a tattoo is it?" _

"_Does that matter?" asked Happy in distress. "I've been violated!" _

"_Oh please," snorted Tony. "So, you got a little ink work done, no big deal, it makes you look tough." _

_Happy glared at Tony. "I think we both know that isn't true, boss," he ground out._

_Tony actually had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Alright, this one might be a bit of a tough sell," he admitted. _

"_What is the tattoo of?" asked Pepper again, clearly intrigued now. _

_Happy jabbed a finger at Tony. "If you say one word, I'm going to kill you right here and now, Tony Stark! We take this to the grave!"_

**oooOOOOooo**

All eyes at the table were on Happy.

"So," said Bruce with interest, "what was the tattoo, Happy?"

Happy stared straight ahead. "I don't remember."

"I'm still waiting to hear how you even got the tattoo in the first place," interjected Steve.

"It's simple," said Tony, "while I was trying to find Happy that night, apparently he got sleepy at some point and wandered into a tattoo parlour and lay down. The tattooist came in and thought he was his next client and Happy was lying face down with his ass bare and figured that was where he wanted it. When the guy asked Happy what he wanted for the tattoo-"

"Oh my God," laughed Bruce, "he said bacon. Happy has bacon tattooed on his ass!"

Clint was watching Happy's expression carefully. He leaned back in the booth, a knowing look on his face. "Oh, it's better than that," said Clint, sounding very sure of himself as he remembered what Tony had been prompting Happy to answer every question with that night, "he's got Tony's name tattooed on his ass, haven't you, big guy?"

"Not anymore," snapped Happy as the table erupted into raucous laughter. "I've had it removed."

Thor slapped Happy on the back as he addressed the other man around his laughter. "Tis an ignominious fate indeed, Happy Hogan, but one which makes for a story full of mirth."

"Yeah, well, I'm not laughing," said Happy in annoyance. "Getting that thing removed was agonising and explaining the whole thing was embarrassing."

"It could have been worse," interjected Tony.

"How?" snapped Happy.

"I don't know, isn't that what people are meant to say with these kinds of things?"

"I'd prefer you say sorry," stated a miffed looking Happy.

"It wasn't my fault," Tony protested.

"You were meant to be looking after me," Happy accused him.

"I got you home, didn't I?"

Happy shook his head. "I can't believe Pepper saw what you did and still decided to take a chance on you, boss."

A new round of Stark Raving Mad drinks were being delivered at the table as they were talking and Bruce picked up his glass and held it up in a toast. "To Tony, the luckiest SOB on the face of the earth to find a woman like Pepper who will put up with all of his crazy."

The others, except for Happy who wasn't drinking, picked up their glasses and joined in on the toast. Tony smiled and picked up his glass, looking down at the strawberry-less cocktail he'd been drinking all night and suddenly missing Pepper a lot. "I can't argue with that," he agreed readily and held up his glass. "To Pepper."

They all held clinked their glasses together. "To Pepper."

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper put down the book she'd been reading in bed and pulled up the covers, ready to go to sleep now. It was after midnight now and Natasha had left a little while ago after she'd finished sharing the story of how she and Tony had ended up taking the next step in their relationship. Pepper couldn't help but smile at the memory of their non-traditional start, but it seemed normal for them. She reached out and turned off the bedside lamp just as her cell phone rang. Pepper picked it up and her smile widened as she saw who the caller was. "I was just thinking of you," she said huskily as she answered the call.

"I hope they were sexy, naked thoughts," said Tony impishly.

Pepper couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe," she teased him. Pepper rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "How's your boy's night out going?"

"Not bad. Thor has just mastered 'Knock Knock' jokes and in a minute we're going to attempt to pull that stick out of the Capsicle's ass."

"Tony," Pepper laughed around her censure, "you promised you'd play nicely with the others."

"It's fine," he said blithely, "the guy is heavily medicated by now, he won't feel a thing. What are you wearing?"

Pepper's lips twitched as she looked down at the old t-shirt she was wearing. "A sexy black teddy," she said saucily.

"Funny, it looks like one of my old 'Violet Femmes' t-shirts to me."

Pepper sat up in bed and looked around just as Tony stepped through their bedroom door, still on the phone to her. Her face lit up at seeing him. "Tony, I've got to go. It seems like I've got an unexpected visitor all of a sudden."

"Okay, just don't do anything I wouldn't do," said Tony, eyes not leaving hers.

"That kind of leaves things wide open, Tony."

"Do what you think is best," Tony advised her as he hung up the call.

Pepper hung up as well and crooked her finger at him, beckoning him towards the bed. "Come here, Mr. Stark."

"I think I'm going to like your idea of what is best," said Tony happily as he immediately walked over to the bed and sat down. He gave her an adoring look. "Do you want to know what the best part of tonight was?"

Pepper gave a laughing grimace. "I don't think I want to know as I'm pretty sure I'll see it on the news tomorrow anyway."

Tony shook his head, eyes on her face. "You won't see this," he promised her and leaned in for a kiss.

Pepper melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Tony's neck and breathing in the scent of him as they sunk back into the bed. Tony's lips moved over hers and his kisses made Pepper's toes curl under the sheets. She couldn't imagine a time when Tony's kisses wouldn't make her lose her mind.

Tony finally broke the kiss and looked down at her with unfocused eyes. "Definitely the best part of the night," he said roughly.

"You've been drinking those crazy drinks of yours," said Pepper indulgently, still able to taste the faint flavour of the alcohol in his kisses.

"I have them without the strawberries," Tony confirmed, smiling down at her. "My girl has this strawberry allergy and I never know when I'm going to have this driving need to kiss her, so I don't like to take any chances."

Pepper smiled, loving to hear Tony was thinking of her, even when they weren't together. "Your night finished early," she noted.

Tony shook his head. "No, the night is still going. I just snuck out and had Happy drive me back here so I could tuck you into bed and give you a goodnight kiss."

"Tony," she tutted, "you can't abandon them. They're like babes in the woods, babes with very specific and potentially dangerous skill sets." Pepper stroked his face and bit her bottom lip. "Although I'm very glad you're here."

"I'm going back," Tony promised her. "I just wanted to make sure my girl has sweet dreams tonight."

Pepper's smile widened as Tony leaned in to claim more kisses. "Oh well, I guess that would be alright," she conceded happily.

Tony stopped just before kissing her, their noses touching. "I adore you, Pepper Potts," he announced throatily. "I can't imagine my life without you."

"I love you too," she whispered back just before she lost herself in his kisses, "and you're never going to be without me, Tony. I promise."


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N****: Yay, another update, that is a bit more like it. :D **

**This chapter is more or less just kind of a realigning us to get us back into the groove of the actual story after the Pepperony detour. I do hope the people hanging out for Pepperony have been satisfied for the next little while and now we can start delving into the rest of the stories I've set up and hopefully bring this all home. That being said, we've still got a lot of stuff to have happen before the end of this story. Fingers crossed you're all not getting bored with this story. :D **

**Okay, on with the show and a little fallout from the night... **

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

"I can't believe this is happening," said Steve, burying his head in his hands as he sat on the hard wooden bench.

Tony looked over at him and made an annoyed sound. "Would you stop saying that?"

Steve dropped his hands and glared at Tony. "We're in jail, Tony. I've never been in jail before." He hesitated briefly. "Well, not an American one anyway. One night with you and we're felons."

Tony snorted as he leaned back against the bars of the jail cell they were all sharing and crossed his arms. "We're not felons."

"We committed crimes," Steve argued.

"Multiple ones," agreed Bruce, head tilted back as he nursed a bloody nose.

"They weren't crimes," disagreed Tony. "They were youthful indiscretions."

"None of us are that young," Clint pointed out as he did his best to try and salvage what was left of his shirt, most of it having been burnt away. "And can everyone stop shouting. I think my head is about to explode."

"Hey, I don't know why this is my fault all of a sudden," shot back Tony. "I came back to the club and you guys were already well into it."

"You're the one who brought up Clint's circus past," shot back Bruce.

"Tis true, Tony Stark, your words started the competition," agreed Thor whose shirt was ripped and had some mystery stains on it.

"How?" protested Tony. "I didn't put the flaming arrow in your hand."

Clint gave him an annoyed look. "You told everyone I was the bearded lady."

Tony's lips twitched. "You do have very pretty eyes, you could have passed for a woman."

"If I could see straight, you'd be tasting my fist right now," said Clint dourly.

Bruce made an exasperated noise. "If you can't see straight, why the hell did you agree to the dare, Clint?"

"I didn't know I couldn't see straight until I let go of the arrow," said Clint in annoyance. "Besides, Thor moved."

"So that I would not perish by your hand, Archer," Thor said defensively.

"Well, if you hadn't have moved, then you wouldn't have knocked over that fire eater and then things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand," said Clint morosely.

Steve closed his eyes and groaned. "I can't believe we practically destroyed that bar."

"It could have been a lot worse," offered up Tony. "At least Bruce's party animal didn't come out to play." He looked at Bruce curiously. "Why was that, B?"

"I don't know," said Bruce slowly. "The last thing I remember is being trampled by that performing pony." His face wrinkled. "Maybe all that alcohol had a deadening effect on the other guy." Bruce grimaced. "All I know is that I feel like I was run over by a dozen ponies."

"I think we all feel that way," groaned Clint, rubbing his head. "What the hell was in those drinks, Stark?"

"That's not important," said Tony easily. "What is important is that everyone got out of the club safely and no one got hurt." A ring of annoyed faces glared at him. "I mean no civilians. I'll make a generous donation to the club owner and Happy is out organising our bail now, so all in all, I'd call this a good night."

A booming voice came from behind Tony. "All in all I'd call this a disgrace, Mr. Stark."

Tony quickly turned around to see Fury striding towards him, with Natasha coming up behind him. Flashing his most charming smile, Tony greeted the other man. "Well, hello there, Director Fury, what a surprise to see you here at five o'clock in the morning. I see you're an early riser."

Fury just glared at him, obviously not interested in exchanging banter right then.

Tony, however, wasn't of the same opinion. "I have a little trouble reading your expressions," he said blithely. "The patch throws me off." He made a show of studying Fury's face. "Am I seeing hungry here? Or is it sleepy, maybe bashful? Or gassy, is it gassy, it's gassy, isn't it?" Nick Fury just stared at him stone-faced without saying a word and Tony looked over his shoulder at the others. "I don't think it's gassy," he whispered to them loudly.

Steve stood up, hurried over to stand in front of Fury. "Sir, this isn't what it looks like."

Clint scratched at his bare chest absently. "Unless it looks like we're all in jail, drunk and hung over after just having destroyed a bar," he observed. "Because if that's the case, this is exactly what it looks like."

Thor nodded. "T'was indeed a raucous celebration with much merriment. It reminded me of home."

Tony pointed at the other man and nodded his head approvingly. "That's the spirit, Thor. Clearly they know how to party in Asgard."

Natasha looked Clint over with a small smile on her lips. "I see you didn't take my advice about not drinking or wearing something flammable, Agent Barton."

Clint grimaced as he looked down at his singed and burnt shirt. "Something I bitterly regret now, Agent Romanoff."

Fury's attention was on Clint now. "Was I unclear with my orders to extract the rest of the team, Agent Barton? Did I leave room open for interpretation?"

Clint sighed. "No, sir, it just proved to be more of a challenge than I first expected."

"My understanding is that your job is to expect the unexpected."

"No one could expect those stupid Stark Raving Mad drinks," grumbled Clint. "I still can't feel my legs."

"Thy legs are still beneath you, Archer," Thor reassured him helpfully.

"Thanks," said Clint dryly, "good to know."

"So, you're all going to play the drunk card, is that it?" asked Fury disapprovingly. "How is that even possible for some of you?" He gave Steve a hard look. "Captain America is incapable of getting drunk, thanks to that serum enhancing your metabolism."

Steve looked a little lost. "I don't know," he admitted, "I thought that too, which is why I had a drink in the first place."

"Lesson learned," said Bruce, dabbing at his nose. "What was in that cocktail, Tony?"

"Nothing, just a bit of gin and a few other bits and pieces," said Tony vaguely.

"I've never had any alcohol effect me that way," said Clint, looking at Tony suspiciously.

Tony gave a little shrug. "Technically you didn't tonight, either."

Clint's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

Tony made a casual hand gesture. "It means that maybe it wasn't so much the alcohol in the Stark Raving Mad that loosened you up, as the garnish."

There was a brief silence as everyone stared at Tony and then Bruce was suddenly sitting up straighter. "The strawberries!" he declared. "You did something to the strawberries."

Steve jabbed an accusing finger at Tony. "That's why you didn't have any in your drink!"

"I don't have anything strawberry related ever because of Pepper's allergy," said Tony dismissively. "Besides, I already know how to have a good time, I don't need any help."

"I do not understand," said Thor slowly. "What magic has Tony Stark bestowed upon this fruit?"

"Not magic, Thor," Tony corrected him, "just a little genetic jiggery pokery that some of my R&D guys whipped up in the lab which I found a use for." He was completely unrepentant. "I knew I'd need more than some alcohol to make you lot unclench and enjoy yourselves."

"You roofied us," ground out Bruce. "I don't believe this."

"Roofied is such an ugly word," Tony protested.

"But essentially accurate in this case," said Clint in annoyance.

Tony waved an unconcerned hand at them. "Look, you're all going to be fine. One demi-god and two serum slash radiation enhanced guys weren't going to be affected adversely by the stuff." He shot a quick glance at Clint. "You may pee blood for a couple of days though, you may want to watch out for that."

"That had better be a joke," bit out Clint.

Tony pulled a little face. "More of a heads up."

Fury interrupted their back and forth. "So, this is the team I've put together? One that is no better than drunken frat boys?"

"Yeah," Tony sassed him, "you really dropped the ball on that one, Director Fury. What were you thinking?"

"That the earth needed heroes," ground out Fury.

"We're heroic," Tony protested. "You should have seen Thor rescue the pony which trampled B."

"Indeed, yet the ungrateful creature bit me," said Thor, looking miffed about the fact as he absently rubbed his chest which showed a clear bit mark.

"I expected more from you all," said Fury sharply.

"Even me?" asked Tony.

Fury put a lot of annoyance into his one-eyed glare. "No, I expected them to dilute you out."

Tony nodded sympathetically. "You're not the first person to make that mistake." He smiled charmingly at the older man. "So, you here to bail us out?"

"You have no idea how much it pains me to say this, but yes, I am," Fury ground out. "We have a situation, those metal creatures are back, the mantises again."

The mood in the cell immediately changed, everyone becoming instantly serious.

"Where?" said Steve quickly.

"Washington," replied Fury darkly. "SHIELD forces are already scrambled and on their way. For some insane reason I thought the Avengers might be of use."

"We will be," said Tony, his expression serious now. "Just get us out of here and let us do our job."

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint checked his quiver one last time, carefully doing inventory of all the trick arrows he wanted to use in the upcoming fight. They were in the back of a SHIELD carrier being jetted towards Washington after having made a quick stop for everyone to suit up. He stretched his neck, hearing a few things crack and grimaced as his head complained at the action.

"Headache?" Clint turned to see Natasha holding out two white pills to him. She inclined her head towards the pills. "Thought you might need these."

Clint took the pills. "Are they cyanide, because right now I'm pretty sure that is all that will help me," he said morosely, swallowing the pills whole.

Natasha half-smiled. "Sorry, just Advil."

"Damn," Clint muttered and rubbed his face. He sighed and glanced over at the rest of the team at the other end of the loading bay they were all in. "I really dropped the ball on this one."

Natasha gave a little shrug. "It's Tony Stark, he got the drop on me a couple of times as well."

Clint looked back at her and almost smiled. "That makes me feel a little better if he can pull a fast one on you." He looked at her closely, tempted to ask how she was feeling but knew Natasha wouldn't be appreciative of his concern, certainly not just before a mission. It was so hard for Clint to make himself believe that this vibrant, beautiful woman could be facing down death and he felt his stomach turn over with anxiety at just the thought of it. He cleared his throat, trying to get a handle on his emotions. "What did you get up to tonight, seeing as you're the only one smart enough to stay clear of the club disaster?"

Natasha hesitated briefly. "I had dinner with a friend."

Clint kept his expression carefully neutral even as he felt flare of jealousy. "Anyone I know?"

"Yes."

Her reply was unhelpful and Natasha didn't seem to want to elaborate on the issue. Clint opened his mouth to pursue the matter when a debate at the other end of the plane became more heated.

"I'm telling you, Bruce, you'll be fine," said an agitated Tony. "Why do we have to go through this before every mission?"

"A hung over Hulk shouldn't be let loose on our nation's capital," said Bruce forcefully. "It's just madness."

"The Hulk can smash these things faster than they can re-form," Tony argued. "We need him."

Steve didn't seem so sure. "Maybe Bruce should sit this one out. We don't know what kind of effect those roofied strawberries might have on him."

"He'll be fine," Tony insisted. "I've watched the Hulk eat lamp posts. I few bits of fruit aren't going to be the end of him."

"How can you be so sure?" Steve argued.

"Because I'm a genius," said Tony sweetly. "Unlike you, who doesn't even know when he's dancing with a guy."

Steve screwed up his face. "What are you talking about?"

"That tall blonde in the tight black dress," Tony informed him with relish, "well, _she_ was a _he_."

Steve snorted in disbelief. "Oh come on, as if I'm going to believe Raquel was a man. How stupid do you think I am, Stark?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"For one thing she had long hair," Steve declared.

Thor arched an eyebrow. "What is thoust implying, Steve Rogers?"

Steve made an impatient noise. "Alright, fine, she also had-" he faltered, "you know-". Steve cupped his hands in front of his chest.

Clint couldn't help himself. "Hands?" he offered up straight-faced.

"No," said Steve and threw and embarrassed look at Natasha, obviously not wanting to say the word in front of her.

"Breasts?" she supplied anyway.

Steve's face reddened. "Yes," he muttered, "Raquel had, um, ah, them."

"Raquel, or as she no doubt used to be known, Robert, has implants," Tony corrected him.

"Implants?" asked Steve, looking confused.

"Silicon or saline implants which can enhance your breasts," Natasha clarified and then rolled her eyes as all the men couldn't help but look at hers. "They're real," she informed them without any hint of self-consciousness.

Steve was looking positively shocked now. "You can do that in this century?"

"You can get just about anything enhanced nowadays," agreed Bruce.

"So, that really was a guy I was dancing with?" asked Steve faintly.

Tony pursed his lips. "Let's just say that you could call your dance partner a woman just as much as you could call what you were doing out there dancing."

"Oh my God," said Steve unevenly, sinking down on the seat and looking a little dazed. "I can't even tell the men from the women in this stupid era."

"Hey, don't sweat it, Frostie," said Tony jovially. "We've all shaken our groove thing with members of the same sex before today." He took in the way everyone was just looking at him. "Oh, okay, so it's just me. Okay, good to know."

Fury stepped out of the cockpit. "We're over the drop zone," he announced. "Avengers, are you ready?" He pulled on the side door, opening it up to reveal the fight going on below. "Time for you to show me you were a complete waste of my time and energy for the last ten years."

"Nice pep talk, couch," said Tony mockingly.

Bruce stood up and walked over to the door, looking down at the fight raging below just as Tony bent down to check on a mechanism in his armoured foot. His backside connected with Bruce and pushed the unsuspecting Bruce out of the plane.

"SON OF A BIIITTCCCHHH!"

Tony quickly straightened up and turned around, screwing his face up as he looked out the door to see Bruce plummeting to the earth below. "Okay," said Tony hastily, "you all saw that, right? It was an accident."

"Unbelievable," said Fury flatly.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Earth's mightiest heroes," he said sarcastically. "We may as well be billed as the Three Stooges and be done with it."

"Our number is six, Steve Rogers," Thor corrected him, "not three."

Steve gave Tony a pointed look. "I'm thinking that depends on who Tony throws from the plane next."

Tony pulled a face. "Guess I'm not going to live that one down in a hurry."

Clint picked up his bow. "If the Hulk has anything to do with it, you might not live at all."

Tony looked him over. "You're not peppy in the mornings, are you?"

"I'm going to need a lift," declared Natasha and without waiting for anyone to offer, she simply strode over to the open door and dived out the plane.

Thor quickly reacted. "I believe the Black Widow may be in need of my assistance," he said before leaping out of the plane as well, hammer already twirling.

Tony looked between Steve and Clint. "Okay, boys, hold on tight." He grabbed both men and all three threw themselves from the plane, petty squabbles forgotten as they headed into battle...

**A/N****: Okay, so everyone concerned with me fiddling with Cap's mythology with having him get drunk (quite rightfully so, I might add), does this explanation make sense? ;) Tony had his guys whip up a batch of genetically modified strawberries which affect a person's brain function ie. He roofied them. LOL I knew I'd need more than just mere alcohol to bring down the Avengers. ;) **


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N****: Sorry this one took me an extra day, guys, but for a variety of reasons it's a bit more complicated. I'll explain why after the next chapter, but for now, let's just say that the action stuff was a bit more tricky than usual for me. :)**

**I'm blathering on below in this a/n, so don't feel compelled to read any of it. I'm just thinking aloud really. :D **

**I just wanted to answer one of my guest reviewers who pointed out to me that 'fails' isn't a noun in Chapter 36 I believe it was. I find it really intriguing that a lot of what my lovely readers point out to me are things I've stopped and considered myself. Like the strawberries, Steve getting drunk, the use of fails, the possibility of Pepper being pregnant – these are all things I have in my story by conscious choice. I really like how you guys all pick me up on those things, even if I have a cunning plan ;) because it kind of reinforces to me that we're all on the same wavelength, which is a lot of fun I think. **

**When I'm questioned about something, it always makes me go back and review the reason why I made the choice I did and I really love that aspect of storytelling. I agree that Tony would know that wasn't the correct usage of the word, when I wrote 'it had been a night of fails', just as I did when I used it. But this is where the intriguing thing comes in for me. In fan fics you have to get into the head of your characters and try to wear their skin so you can make your characterisations as authentic as possible. Sometimes you can achieve that better than other times, but it's the relentless challenge of a fan fic writer, including professional ones like Joss Whedon. (Just a little side not, I'm in NO WAY comparing myself to the brilliant Joss with that statement, just an overall observation). **

**So, when I chose to use that turn of phrase I was thinking of all those funny pictures that have done the rounds with 'FAIL' of people/animals doing just that. LOL I 'noun-erised' it – yes, that's a word… don't look it up. :P But the reason being is because even though Tony is very intelligent and would know that was wrong, I think it's pretty normal for people to have different levels of communications. For example – I have a certain way of using my words when I'm speaking with my colleagues, another way with my staff and then still a different set with my friends and then finally my family. There is a sliding scale of how correctly I speak depending on the situation. I know the right way to speak all the time, but my environment often dictates how I choose to use that knowledge. It's like Tony, I don't see him as someone who'd be overly concerned with grammar and its correct usage… until maybe someone like Steve said something incorrectly and then he'd be the grammar police – just to be a giant pain in the ass and annoy Steve with it endlessly. LOL **

**As you can tell by all of that rambling, I'm utterly fascinated by language, its usage, what it evokes and how it's always changing. I really do love it and can talk about it forever, debating points back and forth and learning different people's perspective and understanding of it. That being said though, my love of the written world doesn't extend to me being perfect with checking my own work… dang it. . I'd love to think everything I presented to you guys was grammatically perfect (unless I was choosing to break the rules) and spell checked to within an inch of its life… but it just isn't. I don't have the time to organise a beta and I just try and do my best whilst navigating the fact I'm an Australian trying to write an American based story. I know I don't always nail the differences but being an Aussie. I'm a real mongrel when it comes to having so many cultural influences from Britain, US and Oz, so it's hard to know what I've picked up from where to be honest. Like, until one of my brilliant reviewers pointed out that Americans say 'math' instead of 'maths' I'd never really put that together and would never have thought of it. **

**Okay, enough of my musings, on with the show and thank you to everyone who cares enough to leave a review for my story. It is truly appreciated. :D **

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

Tony's thrusters kicked in as he hovered above the fight going on below him, still holding onto Clint and Steve. "Thank you for choosing to fly Stark Airlines. We hope you enjoyed your flight. Please make sure your trays are in the upright position before you disembark to kick some metal ass." Tony let go of them and Clint and Steve sailed through the air to both make graceful landings on the ground below. Clint landed on top of a car and immediately started to fire off arrows at a group of mantises bearing down on him. Meanwhile Steve raced down the street, heading in to help the SHIELD agents already engaging in combat with the advancing creatures.

Tony knew what he had to do next. "Jarvis, find me that signal."

"I'm working on it, sir, but the target seems to be moving again."

Tony scanned the mantises on the ground and in the air as he started to fire off his blasters at them. "Is it in one of the machines again?" He did a barrel roll and almost collided with a building as he dodged laser fire from the mantis' eyes. "Jarvis," Tony barked out impatiently, "is the signal device in one of these mantises?"

"I do not believe so, sir, the type of movement I'm detecting is not consistent with the mantis' patterns of movement."

"What kind of movement is it showing?" bit out Tony, taking out the lasers of two more of the machines and dodging the carcass of another one which had just been thrown by the Hulk who was ripping apart the giant metal insects with gay abandon.

The Hulk caught sight of Tony and his eyes narrowed. He tore the head off one more mantis and then started bounding towards Tony.

Tony jetted up into the air. "Oh crap." The Hulk jumped at him and just missed as Tony tried to calm him down. "It was an accident, okay, an ac-ci-dent, I didn't push you out of the plane on purpose."

The Hulk gave an ear splitting growl and picked up a cab and threw it Tony who caught it neatly. The shocked cab driver behind the wheel looked at Tony with white-knuckled terror.

"It was a misunderstanding," he explained to the cab driver seeing as the Hulk didn't seem interested in listening. "I just bent down to check my boot. A guy shouldn't be pulverised just because he wanted to check his armour, right?" The man looked too traumatised to take a side and Tony hastily put the cab down on top of the nearest building. "You'll be safe here," he promised him and the other man nodded mutely, still unable to speak. Tony looked up and saw the Hulk making a beeline for him and grimaced. "Boy, push a guy out of a plane a couple of times and he gets completely unreasonable about it." He shot up in the air and decided to put the Hulk's anger to good use. Tony expertly darted between the mass of mantises which had taken to the air. The Hulk was on his tail, angrily swatting the metal insects out of the way to get to Tony. For his part, Tony made sure to keep just ahead of the rampaging monster and in the thick of the creatures so the Hulk would continue to destroy them in his pursuit of revenge.

"Straight and slow."

"What?" said Tony distractedly as he weaved between the mantises, shooting down any in his way while keeping an eye on the Hulk.

"The signal's move is straight and slow, sir," repeated Jarvis. "You asked what kind of movement the signal was showing and it's strai-"

"Yes, yes," said Tony sharply, "I've got it." He glanced down at the chaos below him and none of the mantises were exhibiting that kind of behaviour. "Okay, lock down the co-ordinates because we're in real trouble if I don't shut off that signal." Already below him Tony could see countless mantises reforming and continuing on their path of destruction. He glanced over nervously at the White House which was far too close to all of this carnage for his liking. There seemed to be double the number they fought in New York and Havana. Tony was sick of having to play catch up with these creatures all the time. They were always a step ahead and all the Avengers were doing was attempting damage control without being able to stop it permanently. It was frustrating Tony that they couldn't get a proper handle on all of this.

The mantises were now swarming all over the Hulk, firing painful volleys of lasers at him and enraging the beast further, so much so that he seemed to forget about Tony and began lashing out at them in earnest. Tony blasted his way through another swarm of the creatures and dived down, providing some protective cover fire for a group of SHIELD agents on the ground who were struggling to take down three mantises. "Jarvis, I need those co-ordinates now!" he barked, using his chest uni-beam to destroy one of the mantises just as another four took its place.

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint grabbed for fresh arrows, skilfully shooting down two mantises at the same time with one trick arrow. "The Hulk is trying to kill Tony," he reported from his vantage point on top of a bus as he had just caught glimpses of the Hulk chasing down a darting Tony. "Are we going to worry about that?"

"Tony can take care of himself," said Steve, "concentrate on protecting the civilians."

"Avengers," came Fury's voice over their intercoms, "we've just gotten intel that President is in the White House."

Clint looked down a couple of streets to where the unmistakable façade of the White House. They'd been holding the mantises back until now, but the metal creatures were making inevitable progress forward and it seemed like there was little doubt where they were heading. "That is not good news," said Clint. "We need to get him out of there."

"His Secret Service detail is working on getting him to bunkers below the White House, but they're going to need some distractions."

Thor appeared in the skies above Clint's head, holding his hammer high above his head. "That shall not be a problem," he promised them. The clouds gathered around Thor's head, immediately turning an ominous grey colour. The hairs on the back of Clint's neck stood up as electricity filled the air and lightning split open the skies, the sound of thunder shaking the bus beneath his feet. Thor directed the raging storm straight at the mantises in the air, lightning striking them in brilliant stabs of light and electricity. A great swarm of the mantises spread their wings and took to the skies, intent on taking down Thor and stopping him raining down chaos upon them.

"I think you got their attention, Thor," shouted Clint above the noise of the thunder and lightning.

Natasha's voice was in Clint's ear. "Hawkeye, I need you to take out a wall for me," she said urgently. "Head due south."

Clint jumped down from the bus. "On my way." He raced down the streets, dodging laser fire and darting between the legs of oncoming mantises. Clint made a couple of turns and rounded a corner to see Natasha swinging herself up under a mantis and firing her Glock into its underbelly. The mantis' legs wobbled and then it was crashing to the ground as Natasha skilfully leapt out of the way. She caught sight of Clint and pointed an urgent finger at an art gallery across the road. Five mantises had found their way into the gallery and blocked off the entrance, trapping a group of terrified tourists inside. There was no way out for them. "I need one of your arrows to make a new exit," she shouted at him above the din of the onslaught.

Clint gave a short nod. "On it." His practice eye quickly sized up where the best and safest place would be to land his explosive arrow head. Clint lined up the shot, blocking out every other distraction as he took his shot. The arrow landed exactly where he needed it to, in the side of the building and immediately detonated. A large hole was made in the concrete brick and Natasha was instantly running over, calling to people to get out through the newly formed exit. Clint went to help her get the people out when a mantis flying overhead laid down some laser fire which connected with several park cars. The ensuing explosion knocked Clint off his feet and had his head ringing. Definitely not what the doctor ordered for a hangover. He shook his head, trying to clear it and peered through the smoke and dust, trying to see if Natasha was alright.

"Hawkeye!" her voice was in his ringing ears.

"I'm alright," he responded, getting shakily to his feet. "You?"

"That explosion trapped us," she told him. "I need your help to get these people out."

Clint quickly made his way back across the road to what was left of the street corner and art gallery. The explosion had caused half the wall of the gallery to come down and created a wall of rubble at least twenty foot high blocking off the side street and the way out. Clint clambered up the side of the debris and looked down at the scene below. The people from the art gallery were out in alley beside the gallery with the rubble in front of them and advancing mantises behind them. They were the very epitome of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Steve's voice came over the comms. "Hawkeye, Black Widow, do you need help?"

Clint surveyed the situation. "No, we've got this Cap, stay where you are." His eyes automatically sought out Natasha amongst the crowd. Their eyes connected across the distance as she looked up at him. "Just like in Mozambique?" he quizzed her on their approach to this.

Natasha gave a short nod. "Yes, only faster."

"Got it."

Clint went to spring into action when one of the mantises from inside the art gallery made its way out of the building and fired on the traumatised crowd made up of mainly older men and women. The scene erupted into even more chaos as they all started to scream and try and find some kind of cover. Clint instantly loaded his bow, firing an explosive tip into the eye of the giant insect and blowing its head off. Even as it fell to the ground, another two mantises appeared from inside the gallery, trampling over the body of their cohort and bearing down on the trapped people. Natasha had her guns drawn and she was firing on them but it wasn't having the necessary impact.

Clint loaded another arrow, intent on taking them both down when he was suddenly launched into the air by an explosion at his feet. Another mantis had come up behind him and blasted the mound of debris with his eye lasers and sent Clint flying. He hit the ground and rolled to absorb the impact, years of training paying off. In the process, however, Clint lost hold of his bow and it flew several feet away from him and landed on the ground. Searing pain shot up Clint's right leg but he ignored it. He could do an inventory later of his wounds, right now he just needed to get his bow back. Dragging himself along the ground, Clint headed straight for his bow but before he could get far Natasha was suddenly over him, holding onto a car door. She bent down, using the car door as a shield to protect them both from the barrage of laser fire. "Cap," called out Natasha, "we need help, Hawkeye is injured."

"Stay where you are, Cap," protested Clint in vague annoyance. "I'm fine."

"Roger that," came Steve's voice.

"I don't think we define that word the same way," said Natasha, still holding up the car door. She nodded at his leg.

Clint looked at his right leg for the first time and saw a large piece of metal was sticking out of it. "Flesh wound," he dismissed easily. "I need my bow." She opened her mouth to argue with him but Clint got in first. "Nat, my bow," he said determinedly.

Natasha's lips firmed in a disapproving line, but she snuck a look around the car door and then handed the protective shield to Clint before making a break for the bow. She made it to the bow and kicked it back towards Clint while not slowing her pace as more laser fire was aimed her way. Natasha ran onto a large piece of rubble and hid behind it, immediately drawing her guns again and firing on the mantises to draw them away from the terrified people huddled against the alley wall. Clint grabbed up his bow, and still sitting on the ground, he drew out an arrow, loaded his bow and aimed it at the mantis closest to the people. As he did, Hawkeye's attention was caught by the figure of a man suddenly appearing on the scene from the sky. The man was wearing full body armour which was painted green and purple. His face was hidden behind a purple mask with large, glowing eyes and dragon fly-like wings kept him in the air. "Ah, guys, we might have a new problem," said Clint as he watched the armoured man bearing down on the trapped people. "Looks like we've got another variation on the insect theme," he briefed the rest of the Avengers.

"Can you take it out?" asked Steve quickly.

"Yes," said Clint without hesitation as he aimed an arrow at the newcomer who abruptly turned his attention to Clint, touching his fingers together and pointing them at him and that was the last thing Clint remembered...

**A/N****: Haven't done a cliff hanger for a bit, thought it was time. ;) Don't know how those action scenes played out for you all. I just finished writing these scenes and it's past 1 in the morning, so the muse maybe a bit incoherent right about now. LOL **


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N****: Uber hard chapter to write, guys. First of all it's action and second of all, I was trying to depict all these things happening at once and that's incredibly difficult. I don't know if I've pulled it off and just ended up with a confusing mess, but if you can know going into it I was trying for that, maybe it'll help. **

**Good luck! **

**Chapter Forty**

Thor stood to his feet, whirling the hammer above his head and destroying any of the metal beasts who dared to get close to him. Even as they were shattered, Thor could see the pieces of metal reforming, relentless in their need to continue their destruction.

"Ah, guys, we might have a new problem. Looks like we've got another variation on the insect theme,"

"Can you take it out?"

"Yes."

Thor heard the conversation between Steve and Clint and frowned. They needed no further trickery to deal with he concluded grimly. This was obviously a losing battle while these creatures could still reform. "Tony Stark, has thou found your magic signal yet?"

"Jarvis just gave me the co-ordinates," came Tony's reply in his ear. "I'm on my way there now."

Thor saw Steve and a group of SHIELD agents down the street from his vantage point on the roof. They were trying to hold off another swarm of the mantises which were attempting to get to an area which had been set up as a makeshift first aid area. The wounded were unable to be evacuated from the under siege streets and were being treated by emergency workers but the mantises had found where they hiding out and were now attacking. "Make haste, Tony Stark," said Thor grimly as he watched this new calamity unfold, "these mortals are in great peril."

"I was going to stop for a haircut and pedicure," came back Tony, "but now that I know the peril is great, I'll just have the pedi."

Thor's brow furrowed as he struggled to make sense of Tony's words. He sensed the other man was being sarcastic, but Thor often wasn't sure when it came to the fast talking billionaire. He'd never met anyone quite like him in Asgard and Thor used a lot of visual cues when it came to Tony, reading his expression rather than his words which often seemed to mean the opposite of what he was meaning. That was harder to do with only Tony's voice in his ear.

Thor took to the sky, racing over to help protect the makeshift hospital. Ahead of him two police men were firing on an advancing mantis and losing the battle. Thor immediately headed towards them, leaping in front of them and covering them as the mantis closed in on all three of them. Thor swung his hammer and shattered the creatures head, causing its legs to wobble and then the rest of it toppled over. Thor looked back over his shoulder at the two officers. "Run, mortals," he advised them, "I will hold the beasts at bay." The two cops knew they were outgunned against the mantises and took to their heels, running back towards the hospital area and helping others make it to safety along the way. Thor took down another two creatures but it was a losing battle as the insects continued to reform and swarm the area. He caught sight of Steve destroying his fair share of the creatures and couldn't help but be impressed by the other man's determination to not give in.

"Horny man make Hulk want to smash!"

The Hulk's surprising statement in Thor's ear caused him a lot of questions, but before he could ask any of them, out of the corner of his eye Thor caught a glimpse of something which drew his attention. Coming up behind Steve was a man dressed in black with purple boots and gloves with a similarly coloured cape completing the look. The top half of his face was covered in a purple mask from which a blonde pony tail protruded. In his hand he held a whip which crackled and sizzled with what looked like lightning to Thor. The purple man raised his whip and Thor was instantly concerned for Steve's safety. "Captain!" he called out. "Behind you!" Without waiting for Steve to respond, Thor picked up the nearest weapon he could find, which just happened to be a car, and threw it at the purple man. The man reacted in a split second, his whip lashing out and slicing the car in two just before it reached him. Steve whirled around in surprise as they both sized up the purple man.

"Tony Stark," said Thor urgently, "we too have a new villain, one with a whip."

Tony's voice in his ear was instantly concerned. "What kind of a whip?"

Thor took in the other man, his hand tightening on his hammer as the newcomer raised his whip above his head. "A lethal one," he said grimly.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Ah, guys, we might have a new problem. Looks like we've got another variation on the insect theme,"

"Can you take it out?"

"Yes."

The Hulk shook his head in annoyance, the buzzing noises of the voices in his head frustrating him as always. To make himself feel better, he crushed two mantises into a mangled mess and tore the legs off another to beat yet another one into pieces. The creatures were all around him, darting back and forth, firing painful flashes of light at him and the Hulk's limited brain capacity knew only rage. He stood in the middle of the street and threw back his head, emitting an ear splitting roar which rattled windows in nearby buildings and sent the people around him running for cover.

A tank rolled in from the other end of the street and the Hulk immediately had memories of being fired on in the past. His fists balled as he ran towards the tank and picked it up by the cannon mounted on the front. He threw it down the street before it could open fire on him. Abruptly the tank stopped in mid-flight and the Hulk gave a puzzled grunt. His large feet stomped along the concrete, intent on finding out what had happened. The tank was being lowered to the ground and then something emerged from behind it. The Hulk's eyes narrowed in anger as he took in the new figure walking towards him. "Horny man make Hulk want to smash!" he snarled, the blood pumping through his veins as a new rage overtook him at being thwarted.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony hovered above the beautifully kept lawn of the White House, looking all around. "I can't see any signal device," he said urgently. "Jarvis, check your co-ordinates."

"I have, sir, and you are directly on the signal."

"There is nothing here," Tony argued as all that was around him was perfectly manicured grass. His jaw hardened as he saw the first mantis breach the White House fence despite the military opening fire on it. Others were coming up behind it, the onslaught all but inevitable now, as the mantises couldn't be held back any longer. "I'm telling you I don't see anything!" he snapped, adrenaline pumping through Tony's body as he knew finding and destroying the signal was the only chance they had.

"I have re-checked my data time and time again," responded Jarvis. "My information is correct."

"They can't be-"Tony began and then had a sudden thought. He cut his thrusters and dropped to the ground. Going down on one knee, he pressed an armoured hand to the grass. Even through his suit Tony could feel the ground vibrating. "Underground," he muttered, cursing himself for wasting precious seconds realising it. Whatever the underground device containing the signal was, it must have some kind of drilling capacity and it was making a beeline for the President's underground bunker. Clearly the intent was to drill through the bunker to get to the leader of the free world and Tony was having none of that, not on his watch. He stood up, immediately directing both of his repulsors at the ground. Great clods of singed green grass and dirt flew up in the air as Tony drilled his way through the earth.

Suddenly the Hulk's guttural voice was in Tony's ear. "Horny man make Hulk want to smash!" he growled.

Tony grimaced even as he kept his focus on the task at hand. "Guys, anyone got an eyeball on the big guy? I didn't like the sound of that."

"New-attack-Hawk-rescue-hear me?" Natasha's comms delivered a garbled message.

"Natasha, you're breaking up," said Tony quickly. "Say again."

"Suit-hurt-now," her comms crackled.

"Damnit," muttered Tony, "what the hell is going on?"

"Tony Stark, we have a new villain, one with a whip," came Thor.

Thor instantly had his attention even as he continued to blast away at the ground. "What kind of a whip?"

"A lethal one," came the grim rejoinder.

"It's some kind of electrical thing," filled in Steve. "And it's a man, definitely not a machine and he's using the whip to slice through cars like they were butter."

"It can't be," said Tony in disbelief, thinking instantly of Ivan Vanko's Whiplash technology. Before he could give anymore thought to the matter, Tony broke through to the tunnel being drilled by what appeared to be a capsule with a pointed drill attached to the front of it so that the device could plough through the earth. Inside the capsule Tony could see the figure of a man with a shock of white hair and very pale skin at the wheel of the device. "Noble Mantis, I presume," he said and moved to yank the man and drilling unit out of the ground. Before Tony could do that, he was suddenly blown forty feet to his left when a mantis' laser hit him full contact. His suit on board computer flickered at the assault and Tony was left trying to get his bearings as he lay on the ground but the mantises were already attacking. "Jarvis, full power!" he ordered his computer.

"I am unable to give you full power, sir," said Jarvis apologetically. "Your suit was damaged by that last blast."

"Put all the power into my repulsors," said Tony tersely, managing to blast the nearest mantis before it could deliver another round of laser fire as Jarvis dutifully obeyed. With the power diverted to maintaining his weapons Tony could no longer fly and he needed to get back to Maniatis before he could make any more progress. Tony ran towards the mound of dirt he'd blasted out of the ground but was forced to dodge more laser fire from above and now the mantises on the ground were teeming over the fence and heading directly at Tony and the White House behind him. A laser strike caught his shoulder and sent him down onto one knee as he returned fire. As Tony pointed his repulsors at the latest oncoming mantis his attention was briefly caught by a silver figure sweeping in from the heavens. "Jarvis, what is that?" he barked. "Scan."

"Human," came Jarvis' answer as Tony watched the silver figure with highlights of blue swoop past him and head directly towards the hole he'd opened up in the earth. The man's metal suit was covered in what looked like icicles protruding from his armour and the whole look was a rather frosty one. The man hovered above the hole and held up his hands. An icy blast shot out of his hands and filled the hole and the mole machine inside. Almost instantly the hundreds of mantises around Tony began to disassemble and fall to the ground.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve watched the caped man's whip split the car Thor had hurled at him effortlessly, his jaw hardening at this new threat.

Tony's voice was urgent. "What kind of a whip?"

"A lethal one."

"It's some kind of electrical thing," filled in Steve. "It's a man, definitely not a machine and he's using the whip to slice through cars like they were butter."

"It can't be." Steve heard definite shock in Tony's voice which was never a good thing seeing as Tony wasn't a man who was easily surprised about anything.

Steve put himself protectively in front of the group of medical staff he'd been trying to get past the mantises and took a tighter hold of his shield as the man raised up his whip. Steve's body tensed, ready to take the man down but instead of turning the whip on them, he used it to destroy a mantis as it flew over head, slicing through the creature and cleaving it in two. With a few cracks of his electrical whip he cleared the path directly in front of them. "This way," he urged the medical personal, pointing to the relative safety of a nearby building which was being fiercely protected by SHIELD agents.

Thor and Steve exchanged surprised looks at the realisation that this man seemed to be on their side. Before they could react, the mantises all abruptly dismantled. Metal pieces were raining downing on them from above and the ones on the ground collapsed as their multiple parts disassembled. "Tony did it," concluded Steve in relief, "he shut off the signal." There was a shout of joy from the surrounding people and wild clapping as the immediate threat was neutralised. However, Steve didn't have time for celebrations as he tried to assess if there was a new threat to be dealt with now. He strode up to the caped man, wanting answers. Steve looked at the newcomer suspiciously. "What is this, who are you?" The metal pieces at their feet were scrambling around, looking for new metal homes to dissolve into but Steve ignored them.

A voice behind him gave a triumphant answer. "We're the heroes who kicked butt and saved the day."

Steve turned around to see a man in a purple and green armoured suit, his face obscured by a purple metal helmet walking confidently toward them. Behind him Steve could see Natasha helping Clint, his arm around her shoulders as she supported him heavily as he limped along. Steve immediately moved to help them. "Are you alright?" he asked Clint, as he took hold of Clint's other arm and put it around his neck, sharing the support of his weight.

"He is now that I saved him," said the newcomer confidently. He looked over at the man with the whip. "I see you did your share of saving as well, buddy."

Steve shared concerned looks with the rest of the Avengers, his lips thinning as he grew impatient for answers.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony looked around at the disassembled metal as it started to liquefy, searching for fresh metal to merge with. "Jarvis," he said quickly, "redirect power to my thrusters." Tony shot up in the air and away from where the molten metal was oozing all over, looking for a new home. He didn't want another suit contaminated. Tony jetted over to where the other man was hovering over the now ice-filled hole. He looked down at the frozen vehicle and its occupant. "Hey, Jumpin' Jack Frost," he said tightly, "you just killed a man."

The other man turned towards him, the two men facing off mid-air. "I just saved a city and the President," he corrected him. "One life is a small price to pay."

"I wonder if your victim would agree with you," said Tony tightly. "Who the hell are you?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve tried not to look as confused as he felt.

"He did help us," Natasha confirmed. "He drew the mantises away so we could get the people who were trapped out."

"What did I tell you," said the stranger confidently, "a hero."

"After you knocked me out," said Clint in annoyance. "What the hell was that?"

"I call it an electrobite," came the proud reply. "This suit can generate electrostatic energy. I just gave you a little jolt. You were about to fire on me, I had to protect myself."

Clint didn't look appeased. "You could have just said you were on our side."

"No time," was the dismissive answer.

"Who are you people?" Steve repeated again.

The talkative one jabbed a finger at his chest. "You can call me the Beetle, and you've already met Backlash."

The rest of the Avengers looked over at the pony-tailed man who inclined his head slightly.

"And as for the rest of us-"

"There are more of you?" Thor interrupted him incredulously. "From whence have you come, little bug?"

"It's Beetle," he snapped back. The ground beneath their feet began to shake along with what sounded like distant thunder reached them. "And it sounds like you're about to meet another member of the team," he finished off blithely.

Down the other end of the street a grey dot appeared and it quickly was becoming bigger. A grey figure was literally charging up the street towards them and that description became even more apt as he got closer. Steve could make out that the large, highly muscled man who seemed to have thickened, grey skin all over his body. His face was clearly human, but the grey skin covered the back and top of his head where it was crowned with two horns of different sizes protruded from his head. It gave him a decidedly rhinoceros-like appearance which Steve suspected was the intent. The ground shook even more as he approached, but he didn't seem to be slowing his approach. The man was heading directly for a series of concrete barriers the army had erected to protect the hospital area from the bugs. He crashed into them, tumbling over and skidding along on his back until he came to a halt alongside them all.

"And this is Rhino," said Beetle, as the other man clambered to his feet. "He's not great at changing direction once he's got some speed up."

"You don't say," said Steve, giving the man the once over as the other man just stared back at him impassively.

Above their heads the sound of Tony's thrusters could be heard as he joined the party and he too was bringing a friend. The silver and blue man dropped from the sky alongside Tony.

"And this is Blizzard," reported Beetle, clearly pleased to be taking on the role of master of ceremonies. "I guess the gang's all here."

Steve looked at Tony. "Do you know what is going on?"

"Nothing good," concluded Tony tightly. "And just whose gang is this exactly, bug boy?"

A cool voice came from behind them. "Well, I guess that would be mine, Tony."

Steve recognised the voice without even turning around and knew Tony was right, nothing good was going on...

**A/N****: Okay guys, what are your thoughts on that little plot twist? Did you see it coming? Can you guess where this is going? :D This is one of those points in the story where it's a big turn in the story, so I'm curious to see your reaction to it. **

**Choosing to use already established characters at this juncture was something I considered long and hard. I could have made up a new super group from scratch, but there are so many great villains out there in the comic book world that I decided to borrow them, knowing I was taking a risk. . **

**Huge disclaimer time. **

**For those of you familiar with these characters, I ask you to forgive me as, while I'll attempt to marry up back story as best I can, I'm taking a movie-verse approach and using these great characters in my story, but not being quite true to comic book lore. I mean, I know the Beetle usually belongs with Spiderman and things like that, but I did try and pick ones which would fit in with the scenario I'm setting up. So I beg the forgiveness of the comic book purists and ask their indulgence. I'll try and honour the spirit of these characters as much as I can, even if I have to tweak a little of their back story to fit this one. **

**Also, for those of you not familiar with the characters, I encourage you to google them and check out their outfits rather than rely on my piss poor descriptions of them. A picture is worth a thousand words after all. ;) **


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N****: Some mixed feelings about this twist in the tale from your reviews I see. Let's see if I can win some of my less certain readers as we go along, hm? ;) **

**Just wanted to do another quick clarification about my choice of Beetle for the other team. I'm using Beetle at the very beginning of his career when he was still a criminal. Of course he goes on to ultimately become Mach V and fight on the side of good, so I'll try and do his character justice in all of this. **

**Also, I just want to reassure people again that Pepper will have a very important part in the ultimate showdown of this fic and she will be bringing it... along with Natasha. So don't worry about her being back burned as some kind of damsel in distress in this particular fic. I have a cunning plan, as I do with Natasha. ;) **

**I wish this chapter was a little sharper, but the muse wasn't being very co-operative on this one. The next chapter should continue to do more exposition and bring people up to speed. **

**Hope you enjoy it and I'll get the next chapter to you as fast as I can. **

**Thanks as always for reading. :D **

**Chapter Forty-One**

The voice grated on Tony's last nerve and he was already mad when he turned around to address the newcomer. "Hammer," he said flatly.

Justin smiled brightly back at him. "Hello, Tony, it's good to see you, my friend."

"We're not friends," said Tony coldly. "What the hell are you up to, Hammer?" He already had a pretty good idea of the answer to his own question but wanted to hear the other man's take on it.

Justin smiled and straightened his grey suit and looked important. "This is me giving back, Tony."

Tony looked over at the other Avengers and they looked as unconvinced as he was.

"General, the Maniatis threat has been neutralised," Blizzard informed him.

Tony struggled to know what to comment on first. "General?" he repeated mockingly. "Are you serious? What does that stand for, Generally Annoying, Generally Inadequate?"

"It's a mark of the respect my men have for me," said Justin coolly.

"People earn that rank," Steve ground out, looking offended.

"Oh, like you earned the rank of Captain when all you got was an injection?" Justin threw back at him sweetly.

Steve's face hardened angrily at the jibe.

Tony was having none of that. It was alright for him to have digs at Steve, but that was because they had an understanding. Justin Hammer didn't have squat and Tony leapt to Steve's defence. "Captain America _earned_ his rank and the respect of those around him by his actions of courage and being selfless in protecting those around him. That man's an institution, while you should just be institutionalised," countered Tony in annoyance. "The closest you've come to military service is buying Girl Guide cookies, _General_." He made sure to inject as much derision as he could into the title.

Clint leaned in towards Natasha. "Tony must be really ticked, he's complimenting Cap," he said in a low voice and then more loudly to the rest of them. "And what do you know about Maniatis?" Clint asked suspiciously, still leaning on both Steve and Natasha.

"After you and your lovely cohort's visit to me the other day, I got to thinking you might be onto something," said Justin smoothly. "I checked out a few leads we had and discovered that Maniatis had been using one of my disused warehouses in New York to work on his nefarious plans."

Clint looked unimpressed. "And how exactly was he bankrolling these nefarious plans of his?"

Hammer made a concerned face. "I have no idea, perhaps that's something the police can ask him."

"They may have a long wait for an answer," said Tony tightly. "Maniatis is dead."

Hammer looked over at the man in silver and blue. "Blizzard, is this true?"

"I had to take him out," said Blizzard unapologetically. "It was him or the city. I made my choice and it was the right one."

"Of course it was," said Hammer roundly. "The President's life was at stake, you couldn't take any chances."

Tony gave Justin a hard look. "Kind of convenient that we don't get to ask Maniatis any questions now, don't you think?"

"Not at all," said Hammer with all the appearance of sincerity. "It would have been good to know if he was working alone, or if we have further threats to deal with."

"We?" interrupted Steve contemptuously. "So what, you're joining the ranks of super hero, is that it?"

Hammer treated him with a cool look. "I think my team have more than qualified to be seen as such. After all, they not only saved Washington and the President but the Avengers as well.

"We didn't need saving," shot back Steve.

Beetle snorted. "Oh yeah, right." He jerked a thumb at Clint. "I guess I missed how this one bleeding all over the mantises was part of some kind of master plan to bring them down."

"While firing on the ones trying to help the trapped people was an obvious hero move," Clint snapped back.

"I saved your life and so far I haven't even gotten a thank you," said Beetle indignantly.

Natasha gave him an unimpressed look. "I don't think you know how being a hero works."

"I wouldn't hold my breath for that thank you, Beetlejuice," snipped Clint. "Oh wait, yeah, maybe you should."

Tony was staring at Blizzard. "Apart from expecting praise, the other thing heroes don't do is murder people." He inclined his head over at the impassive looking Blizzard. "You're guy here killed a man in cold blood."

"And saved the day," argued Hammer. "I don't think anyone is going to be crying over the death of a madman who caused so much death and destruction somehow."

"Again," ground out Tony, "wildly convenient for you, Hammer."

Beetle interjected into the conversation. "You know, you _all_ could try and be a little more grateful, we did save your lives after all."

Tony was dismissive. "You didn't save my life, lady bug."

"It's the Beetle," he replied in agitation.

"Don't mind him," said Hammer jovially, "that's just how old Tony here shows affection, he calls people names."

"It's also how I show disgust, General Hammeroid," threw back Tony.

Rhino suddenly spoke and it was with a thick Russian accent. "Show the General more respect," he ordered Tony and gave him a menacing look.

"Wow, Russian, huh?" said Tony. "That has a familiar feel to it." He looked over at Backlash. "As does that." Tony looked back at Hammer. "Why is one of your guys channelling the ghost of Whiplash past?"

"Even though Ivan Vanko is no longer with us, I thought I could use his technology for good, a kind of balancing out his bad acts with my good ones," explained Hammer.

Tony looked at the other Avengers in disbelief. "Is anyone buying this, anyone, anyone?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so."

"Doctor Banner is here," Natasha commented, looking past Tony to the street behind him.

Tony turned around to see a barefoot Bruce walking towards them wearing grey sweat pants with a tag still on them and a white t-shirt which he'd obviously 'borrowed' from one of the smashed shop fronts. He walked up to the group and looked around at the other costumed men in surprise. "Okay," Bruce said slowly, "reading between the lines, I may have missed out on something important here."

"Oh hey, B," said Tony, using an overly bright voice, "I'd like to introduce you to the latest superheroes to grace us with their presence." He pointed to each one in turn. "This is Cockroach, Mr. Whippy, Frosty the Snowman and Hungry, Hungry Hippo." Tony tutted to himself. "And I almost forgot the most important member of this little group, the General himself." He waved a hand towards Hammer.

Bruce arched an eyebrow as he looked Hammer over. "Have we done the Generally Annoying jokes?"

Tony nodded, always enjoying when he and Bruce were on the same page. "First cab off of the rank."

"How about the only military service he's seen is eating Captain Crunch?" offered up Bruce.

Tony nodded approvingly at the dig. "Nice, I went with buying Girl Guide cookies."

Bruce nodded his approval as well and returned the compliment. "Nice."

Hammer chuckled and looked at his team. "What did I tell you, I said they were funny guys."

Backlash finally had something to say. "Maybe if they joked around less and concentrated on defeating their enemy, then they could have stopped this long ago."

Thor took a step forward, his face hard. "Steady thy tongue, mortal," he warned him darkly.

"Or you'll do what?" Backlash challenged him.

Thor's hand tightened on his hammer. "Pray you never have occasion to find out," he said ominously.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Hammer clucked, "we're all friends here and we're all on the same side."

Steve's look was sceptical. "Are we?"

"Of course," said Hammer easily. "We all have the same goal, protecting the earth and together we can-"

"Together?" Tony interrupted him. "Are you serious?"

"Are you telling me you don't need our help?" asked Hammer, feigning confusion. "I thought you'd welcome more heroes with open arms."

"We've already got a long-haired weirdo in a cape," threw back Tony. "We don't need yours." He looked over at Thor. "No offence, Thor."

Thor nodded, not missing a beat and casting a quick look at the Beetle. "Indeed, Tony Stark, just as we already may count a loud mouth in a flying metal suit amongst our number."

"Exactly," said Tony emphatically.

Bruce joined in as he glanced over at Clint, Natasha and Steve. "And I think we've more than covered your military aspect of the team."

Tony wasn't done yet. "Just like we've got the rampaging monster guy covered." He looked over at Blizzard. "And my refrigerator has an ice dispenser, so I think we're good there as well."

Hammer gave him a cool look. "Why doesn't it surprise me that Tony Stark doesn't want to share the glory with someone else?"

"The Avengers aren't about glory and the fact that you think that is proof positive why we'd never having anything to do with your so-called team," shot back Tony.

Hammer pulled a face. "Why does that have the faint stench of sour grapes to it, I wonder? I guess I was right in making the plans I did."

Natasha was helping Clint take a seat on a nearby bit of rubble, his wounded leg outstretched. "And what plans are those?"

Hammer blew out a breath and looked regretful. "See now, this was why I wanted to see you today before my big press conference in New York today but then this all happened. I wanted to give the Avengers an opportunity to be a part of all this before I went public."

"A part of all what?" asked Steve impatiently. "Stop holding court and get to the damn point."

Hammer straightened up and gripped his lapels, looking very self-important. "Today is going to be the day I introduce to the world a new batch of superheroes to watch over the world and protect it. Today is going to be the realisation of my dreams, my gift to the world, my magnum opus, if you will."

Bruce and Tony looked at each other as the origin of the magnificent octopus was finally revealed. "Ohhh," they said as one.

Tony gave a little movement of his shoulders. "Okay, yeah, that makes more sense."

Bruce rubbed his chest absently. "A lot more sense," he agreed.

Hammer hesitated and looked confused. "What does?"

"Nothing," Tony said dismissively, "just a little something which got lost in translation. Please, continue your delusional ravings. We've got to kill some time before 'The View' comes on and it's this or watching that infomercial with the vacuum cleaner which can suck up billiard balls."

Hammer squared off again, looking to be regathering his thoughts after all the interruptions and ignoring Tony's snark. "Today, today is a day like any other. Today is the day history will remember the birth of the Combined Allied Militia Elite League To Overcome Evil," he announced grandly.

There was a prolonged silence after Hammer's declaration, the Avengers just staring at him.

Finally Tony spoke with a wry observation. "That's a bit of a mouthful."

"And then some," agreed Clint.

"It also spells out camel toe," pointed out Bruce.

Hammer gave him an odd look. "Wh-what?"

"The acronym of Combined Allied Militia Elite League To Overcome Evil is CAMEL TOE," Bruce clarified calmly.

Tony gave a snort of laughter. "Man, I hope you guys don't have an insignia for your little group of wannabes."

Out of the corner of his eye Tony could see Steve was looking confused. Clint leant over and whispered in his ear and Steve gave a visible start as the significance of 'camel toe' was explained to him. Steve shook his head. "What is wrong with people in this century?" he asked in shock. "Why would you make a name for something like that?"

"More to the point," said Tony, "why would Genny from the Block here think it was a good idea to name a group of superheroes after it? Freud is right now trying to claw his way out of his grave just to have a crack at psychoanalysing that."

"Obviously I didn't know," said Hammer hastily, looking unsure of himself for the first time.

"Even more interesting," observed Natasha. "You're subconscious must be one icky place, Hammer."

Hammer's lips thinned in displeasure at losing control of the situation. "Names aren't important," he declared, "actions speak louder than words and I think our actions today mean there is no more use for words." He smoothed down his hair and adjusted his glasses. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got an important press conference to attend this afternoon."

Tony couldn't help himself. "Did you just make a declaration that action is all that is needed and then proclaim you were off to do more talking?"

Thor folded his arms in front of his broad chest. "Truly thou art no leader of men, Justin Hammer."

Hammer glared at him. "I guess we're going to see about that, aren't we?" He inclined his head to his team. "Let's go, we've got a mess to clean up, courtesy of the Avenger's inability to contain a situation." He turned on his heel, the others falling in behind him as they headed off towards where a large group of people had gathered. They were met with spontaneous bursts of applause and cries of gratitude.

Bruce watched the other team receive all the attention with great gusto while Justin Hammer preened like a peacock at their head. "I guess that's the equivalent of taking your bat and ball and going home."

"How did this happen?" asked Tony, still trying to fathom this whole thing. "How did we not know what this idiot was up to?"

More of the crowds were coming up to them now, thanking them and soon the Avengers were surrounded with a grateful crowd of their own, patting them on the back and offering up thanks. There was nothing for it but to smile and accept their thanks graciously and put off talk of Hammer and his team for a later date.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N****: One of my shorter chapter this time round, and I must confess, nothing happens. LOL Sorry about that. **

**I'm toying with doing one or two chapters for NaCl explaining what happened in Budapest... does that sound interesting to people? It's another flashback, but I had some fun thoughts about it. **

**Later gators... :)**

**Chapter Forty-Two**

Tony looked out the large window of the floating SHIELD base at the clean up going on in the damaged cityscape of Wtashington. He was looking but not really seeing, his thoughts on Justin Hammer and what the man was up to. There was no way this was just as simple as hero envy on the other man's behalf. There was more to it and Tony's head was crowded with all the different angles Hammer might be intending to play on this and none of them were good. His cell phone rang and he answered it without looking at who it was. "Stark."

"Tony, it's me."

The sound of Pepper's voice instantly made Tony relax a little bit. "Hey, Pep, sorry I didn't come home last night. Duty called."

"As did our lawyers," she noted, without any real censure in her voice. "I'm watching the news right now." She hesitated. "What am I seeing?"

"It seems like Hammer has made his own little club seeing as we wouldn't let him join ours," said Tony grimly. "Are Martin and his men there with you?"

"Yes." -

"I want them to stay extra close to you from now on, Pepper," he instructed her. "Hammer is making his move and I don't know where this is going."

"Tony, if they trailed me any closer we'd all be arrested for public indecency," she commented wryly. "I don't think I'm on Hammer's mind right now. I can't believe what I'm seeing on TV, these other superheroes, what does it mean?"

Tony could hear the concern in Pepper's voice and hated that she was worried. He was concerned enough for the two of them, she didn't need to. "I don't know," he said honestly, "but it's nothing for you to worry about."

"If I'm not supposed to be worrying, why are you pacing?"

Tony looked down and discovered that he had started to pace up and down, his body tight with nervous anxiety of just wanting to sort this Hammer problem once and for all. The sound of Pepper's voice, while initially reassuring had quickly reminded Tony of Hammer's threats to take everything from him, his power, position and most frighteningly, Pepper. "I'm not," he lied without hesitation.

Pepper knew him too well to get away with that. "That was your pacing voice."

"There is no way that is a thing."

"It's a thing."

Tony couldn't help but smile. "I hate that you know me so well."

"Is that right?" Pepper didn't sound bothered by that fact.

"No," said Tony huskily, "I love it."

Tony could hear the smile in her voice. "Just as well, because I've been working on it for twelve years now." Her voice became more serious. "Tony, listen to me, you can't worry about my safety, you have more important things to think about, like working out what Hammer is up to. I've got a security detail plus Happy and Jarvis looking out for me and live in a fortress. I couldn't be any more safe." When Tony didn't answer straight away Pepper made a frustrated noise. "You're thinking about that stupid hamster ball again, aren't you?"

Damn she was good. "No," said Tony indignantly and then relented, "yes, maybe. I mean, remind me again why you're so against it?"

"Because I'm not a hamster," she said flatly.

"That seems like a pretty random reason to me."

"I'm not having this conversation with you again, Tony Stark," said Pepper firmly. "I've gotten a security detail, I didn't remove that tracking gizmo you put in me without my consent and I think I've been pretty reasonable about the whole thing."

"Okay, but let me just say this one thing," said Tony, pausing for effect as he tried one last ditch attempt to win Pepper over to his hamster ball idea, "cappuccino machine."

"How are you going to put a cappuccino machine in a hamster ball?" Pepper asked in exasperation.

"I'm a genius, I'll figure something out," Tony wheedled, "and I know how you love your cappuccinos in the morning."

"I'm giving up coffee for awhile," she informed him. "I'm trying to cut back on caffeine. It's not good for you." Pepper gave a dry laugh. "Although I don't think today was the right day to start attempting to ween out caffeine from my diet. I woke up to multiple calls from our lawyers and the media from your little shin ding last night and then all this Hammer business. I can't see an orange juice having the same calming effect, somehow."

"Okay, I'll put a juicer in the ball instead, how does that sound?"

"Delusional."

Tony's lips twitch. "I love it when you talk dirty to me."

Pepper laughed. "Idiot."

"Now you're just trying to drive me mad with desire," he complained teasingly.

"I don't think I can take the credit for your crazy, Tony," Pepper sassed him. "Oh."

"Oh, what?" asked Tony, instantly concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright," she said in exasperation. "It's just that Justin Hammer is on TV and it looks like his press conference he was going to give this afternoon in New York is happening now in Washington, on the steps of the White House, no less."

Tony jaw hardened at all the validation this dangerous idiot was getting. He knew Hammer would be eating it up with a spoon.

"You'd better go and listen to it, where are the others?"

"We're all on the SHIELD base waiting on Fury to debrief us about this Hammer mess. Clint is in sick bay, he got a bit banged up and they're patching him up."

Pepper made a concerned noise. "Is he going to be okay?"

Tony grimaced, remembering the sight of the beat up Hawkeye. "That's what they tell us."

"Is everyone else alright?"

"They're fine, I think they're all in the conference room, at least that is where I saw Bruce heading with about ten boxes of donuts."

"Oh, donuts," said Pepper thoughtfully, "that's what I feel like."

"You never eat donuts," he reminded her.

"I know, but I've got to use something to help with the caffeine withdrawals."

Tony pursed his lips. "You know how B is about sharing food after he's been the other guy. Will you still love me if I come back with only one arm?"

"If that arm is holding donuts I will," she said impishly.

Tony had to laugh. "Alright, my life for your donut craving, your wish is my command."

"In that case I wish you'd stop worrying about me," she said simply.

"Wish for something simpler, like world peace," Tony instructed her, his throat tightening a little with emotion, "because me not worrying is never going to happen."

"Go be Iron Man," she instructed him softly, "and then have Tony Stark come home to me."

"I love you."

"I know."

Tony hung up and headed towards the conference room and met Clint coming out of the elevator. He looked the other man up and down, taking in the crutches. "How's the leg?"

"Still attached, so I'm taking it as a win," said Clint casually. He hobbled out of the elevator.

"At least this is going to make the peeing blood thing a bit less of a big deal," said Tony brightly.

Clint gave him an unimpressed look. "It really doesn't. I don't know who I ended up taking a bigger beating from, those insect things or your idea of a fun night out."

"You had fun," said Tony dismissively.

"I caught fire," Clint reminded him as they walked together to the conference room.

"Your shirt caught fire," Tony corrected him, "and that's how you know a good party has started."

"How are you still alive?" asked Clint in disbelief.

"I have no real idea," Tony admitted freely.

"I'm thinking Pepper and Happy have more of an idea."

Tony gave a little shrug. "Possibly. So, have you decided to move into the Avenger Tower yet?"

"Have you told Pepper about it?"

"Sure, she's excited."

"You're lying, you haven't told her yet."

Tony made an offended face. "Why does everyone assume I'm lying all the time?"

Clint's sideways look didn't need words.

"Alright, fine," Tony huffed, "we haven't technically discussed it, but I told you, she'll be happy to have you there."

"Is this you feeling guilty?"

"What do I have to feel guilty about?"

"How about the fact that I went into that last mission hung over because of those strawberries and got hurt."

Tony stopped walking and looked at him, a little surprised at the other man's perception. He really hadn't expected there to be a mission on the heels of their night out and Clint had definitely been the most worse for wear out of the group. The thought had flickered through Tony's head and he had been feeling guilty about it. "No, of course not, you made your own choices," he lied.

"You're lying again." Clint turned to face him. "Look, like you said, I made my own choices and I can look after myself in the field." He pointed a finger at Tony. "That being said, that's not an open invitation to drug me again."

Tony admired the other man's attitude of independence and defiance. "Not even if it's your birthday?"

"I want to keep having birthdays, Stark, so no, not even then."

They continued onto the conference room. "Christmas?" Tony pushed.

"No."

"Fourth of July?"

"No."

"Columbus Day?"

Clint paused briefly. "I'll think about it. Fury just buzzed me to say Hammer is giving his press conference now."

"I know."

"He's going to play the hero, isn't he?"

"Yup," said Tony grimly.

They walked into the conference room together to find the rest of the Avengers already seated around the table at which Nick Fury stood at the head. "Hammer's press conference is starting," he advised them as they settled into their seats.

Tony looked over at Bruce who was munching his way through a mountain of donuts. "Those hitting the spot, B?"

"Can't talk, eating," Bruce grunted in response.

"It's not worth it," Steve advised him. "Just let him eat. Apparently he can eat and talk at the same time, he just doesn't want to."

Tony just shrugged acceptingly while eyeing off the box of donuts closest to him but then Justin Hammer appeared on the screen in front of them and had all of Tony's attention.

Just Hammer smiled into the camera, clearing his throat and adjusting his tie as every media outlet in the country literally waited with bated breath. He was indeed standing on the steps of the White House at a podium and behind him stood his four undoubtedly bought and paid for super heroes.

Tony made an annoyed noise at Hammer's preening. "Let's see what General Camel Toe has got to say for himself." Tony had a deep suspicion he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/ N****: Thanks everyone for favouriting, alerting, reading and commenting on this story. I can't believe you're all still reading this beast! I truly appreciate every single one of you and thank you to those who gave feedback on the Budapest question, all points of view are currently being considered. :D **

**Sorry this chapter took an extra day, it's been a hellish week at work. Thanks for your patience... **

**Chapter Forty-Three**

Hammer gripped the edge of the podium and looked directly into the camera. "My fellow Americans," he began importantly.

"Oh dear God," said Tony in disgust.

"I have a dream-"

"Kill me," said Tony in anguish already over this unoriginal attempt at a speech, "kill me now."

"Mr. Stark, are you planning on talking over the entirety of this speech?" asked Fury impatiently.

Tony folded his arms in front of himself. "No," he grumbled, "I'll probably be vomiting some of the time."

"-a dream that helped me through the dark days of my wrongful incarceration, a dream of how I could give back to this great country which I love with every fibre of my being. So, in the darkest moments of my despair, I asked myself, not what my country could do for me, but what I could do for it and I found my answer."

"Shut up, you idiot!" Tony yelled at the screen.

"Good advice," said Steve in annoyance at the continual interruptions, "why don't you take it?"

"How can I when the guy is raping some of the greatest speeches ever made," said Tony hotly.

Natasha looked at Fury. "This is being recorded so we can review this later, right, sir?"

He gave a curt nod. "Fortunately."

"-this world can be a dark place and there can be a lot to fear in it. I wanted to change that, to give hope to a world which was losing hope. To give light to a world that was growing darker-"

"Are my ears bleeding?" asked Tony in distress. "I feel like my ears are bleeding from listening to this."

"No," replied Thor, "thou ears are as normal, Tony Stark."

"I was being rhetorical," said Tony tersely.

Thor leaned into Clint. "This word rhetorical, does it mean annoying?"

"In this case, yes," said Clint wryly and Tony shot him a dirty look for that.

"Using my resources and deep seated need to make a difference in this world, I gathered the finest of men together, men of brave hearts and high ideals and helped equipped them with the technology which would let them live out those ideals." Hammer stood back and swept his hand towards the four costumed men standing behind him. "Today the world can embrace four new heroes, heroes committed to protecting this country and indeed, the entire earth with all of their skill, courage and strength." He pointed to each man in turn. "The Beetle, a valiant warrior whose skills in combat cannot be questioned and indeed, more than one Avenger owes his life to."

"Give me a break," grunted Clint.

"The mighty Rhino, his strength only matched by the size of his heart." Between each introduction the men would step forward and wave at the crowd as the people cheered and waved back. Hammer kept on with his role call. "The fearless Backlash, always ready to defend the helpless and face down all foes." More clapping and waving. "And then last, but certainly not least, the impressive Blizzard, his cold exterior incapable of containing the fire which burns within for justice and peace."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "And the really sad part about those little introductions is that I'm betting he spent weeks on them, practicing them in front of the mirror."

"That is sad," agreed Clint.

Hammer faced the crowd again, flinging out his arms as he spoke. "America, the world, I give you your newest heroes, I give you The Defenders!"

"And with that quick rethink of names, the world will never know how close it came to being to being given a camel toe," said Tony in disgust.

"I'm sure you all have questions," continued on Hammer triumphantly, basking in all of the attention. "I'll do my best to answer them now."

An eager interviewer shouted out his question. "Mr. Hammer, will you be working with the Avengers in the future?"

Hammer smiled. "I can see no reason not to, unless the Avengers have an issue with it. The Defenders are all about working together for the good of all."

Tony made an annoyed noise. "So we look like the jerks if we refuse to work with them. Saw that one coming a mile off."

Another reporter called out a question. "How did you put this team together?"

"I put a want ad in the Super Hero Weekly," said Hammer. The crowd laughed and he laughed with them. "I jest, I jest. I had a very exclusive screening process where I scoured the world to find men clever enough and brave enough to take on the challenge of making a difference in this world."

"Why make another team when there is already the Avengers?" another reporter quizzed him.

Hammer made a show of choosing his words carefully. "The Defenders are eager to work with authorities, seeing them as a vital part of our team." He looked to his right. "Senator Kidston, why don't you join me up here for this part."

The silver-haired man in a dark suit and glasses came to stand beside Hammer, shaking his hand. The Senator took over the microphone and looked very self-satisfied. "With the emergence of The Defenders, we have a group of heroes who are eager to work with other authorities and play by the rules. America was built on the back of collaboration and teamwork and The Defenders are a shining example of what those upholding those can of values can achieve."

"Reading between the lines, unlike the Avengers who do whatever the hell they like," said Clint flatly.

Tony's jaw hardened, knowing that it was completely Kidston's agenda to present the Avengers as renegade vigilantes while the Defenders were the ones playing by the rules and doing the right thing.

Senator Kidston flung his arm out towards the city. "Washington owes it continuing existence to the team work and bravery shown by The Defenders. It was them working in tandem with the brave forces of the US military which ultimately saved this city and our President."

"So, what were we doing, catching a movie?" asked Tony in annoyance. "This is unbelievable."

"The Defenders are willing to be accountable to a higher power, the government, the government elected by the people for the people. This spirit of teamwork is strong in them as they strive alongside your elected officials to make this a world a better place for all."

"This may be all the sugar from the donuts talking," observed Bruce around a mouthful of said donuts, "but how about we just kick this other team's ass and be done with it."

Tony nodded in approval. "I like you all hyped up on sugar, B. Makes you a lot more fun."

Hammer was back at the podium, winding up his speech which was just more of the same rhetoric.

"Beating up the Defenders would just make us seem like mindless bullies," Steve observed. "Something I'm sure Hammer is hoping for."

"Yes," argued Tony, "but it'll feel great."

"We have to be strategic in our response to his," Natasha noted. "Hammer is clearly playing a lot of angles here."

Tony cast an impatient look at Natasha and then Fury as the other man turned off the broadcast. "You know, when I joined SHIELD it was on the understanding that I'd provide the shiny suit and the witty one liners and you guys were meant to provide the intel." Tony's lips thinned. "How the hell did Hammer do all of this without any of us knowing?" he demanded to know. "How could he get the jump on us like this?"

"He was flying under the radar." They all turned to see Agent Coulson walk into the room.

"What does that even mean?" Tony demanded to know. "Aren't you lot meant to be the super spies who are up in everyone's business?"

"Hammer wasn't a concern of ours until recently, when he was released from jail," said Agent Coulson in that calm way of his. "We weren't keeping tabs on him, seeing as he was in prison."

"And that worked out just swell with Pepper almost dying," said Tony bitterly.

"Hindsight is always twenty twenty, Mr. Stark," said Fury evenly. "After what happened with Ms. Potts, we started to take a closer look at him."

"And you didn't see this?" Steve motioned at the now blank TV screen. "Putting together these other heroes would have taken him a lot of time and energy. This didn't happen overnight, he must have been setting this up for awhile now."

"Our intel suggests Hammer has a second in charge who has been handling things behind the scenes while Hammer has been behind bars," filled in Agent Coulson. "We've intercepted some email traffic that we managed to unscramble and they reference a person that goes by the code name Ghost."

"Ghost?" repeated Clint. "Do we know who this guy is?"

Agent Coulson gave a regretful shake of his head. "Unfortunately, no. Hammer's operative lives up to his name and we can't find a trace of him anywhere except for in a handful of emails."

Fury clasped his hands behind his back. "My feeling is that this Ghost figure is the one who is the one making all of this possible. We all know that Justin Hammer's past attempts at misdeeds have been clumsy and ill thought out but this time his operation is a lot smoother and well organised. My gut tells me that this Ghost is the reason why."

Tony nodded, his brain racing. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Hammer couldn't organise himself out of a wet paper bag, he has to be getting help from someone else and someone who isn't a complete idiot."

Thor leaned back in his chair, expression serious. "Does thou know of a way to entrap this Ghost? From the way you all speak, he is the one we must seek out and quell."

"We're working on it," said Coulson, "but this guy is good. I've never seen anyone cover their tracks the way this guy has. Ghost is nothing short of a genius."

Bruce took a break from eating donuts to contribute to the conversation. "It's not that hard to drop off the earth so that no one can find you."

Coulson gave a little smile. "With all due respects, Doctor Banner, my eighty-four year old grandmother could have followed the trail you left when you went to ground and she's been dead for two years."

Bruce made an annoyed noise at that comment and went back to his donuts.

Thor looked perplexed. "How would your grandmother achieve this wondrous feat, Agent Coulson?"

"He was being funny," Clint clarified.

Thor's frown deepened. "Dead grandmothers are funny in this realm?" he puzzled. "This I will never understand."

"We don't have time to help out Thor with his remedial comedy skills," said Tony impatiently. "We have to do something."

Fury had other ideas. "You'll do nothing, Stark, none of you will. We have to make a full assessment of the situation before making our next move and that isn't going to happen overnight. A wrong move now and we'll play right into his hands."

"Do nothing?" asked Tony in disbelief. "That's your master plan? Are you kidding me?"

"I said the Avengers should do nothing," Fury corrected him. "SHIELD will be working behind the scenes to find out exactly what Hammer is up to and track down this Ghost guy. Once we know what we're dealing with, then the Avengers will come into play."

Tony shook his head. "That's not going to work for me."

Fury's voice became ominous. "It's going to work for you, Stark. The Avengers already have enough bad press with your antics from last night which is making the news today, we don't need any more fuel for the fire Kidston and Hammer are trying to start. Hammer and his team have the power at the moment, particularly with them having stopped Noble Maniatis once and for all."

"Oh," said Tony sarcastically, "you mean the Noble Maniatis that was undoubtedly on Hammer's payroll and doing his bidding just to make his guys look good? Is that the Noble Maniatis we're talking about here? The one who is now conveniently dead and unable to answer any questions, that's the one, right?"

Fury's lips thinned. "We're all frustrated, Stark, but we also all have a lot to lose if this goes sideways on us."

"No one has as much to lose as me," said Tony angrily. "Hammer went after Pepper and this whole thing is about me and making me pay for not being a loser like him. He wants to take everything away from me and you're crazy if you think I'm going to sit idly by while Pepper's life is on the line."

"We still don't know his long range game plan," said Natasha, "and while I agree that his focus is on you, Tony, this does affect all of us. If he's planning to use the Avengers to plot your downfall, we all go down with you. This is a time for cool heads and considered actions. We're a team, all of our actions impact on the other."

Tony ground his teeth, accepting on one level that Fury and Natasha were right but then there was a more instinctive side to him that just wanted to find Hammer and pounded him into a bloody pulp.

"Verily, Tony Stark, I share your concerns for the maiden Potts but if we are with her, then no harm can come to her," offered up Thor. "I have learnt the value of knowing thy enemy in a battle and believe we should wait on Director Fury to do his work."

Tony looked around the table. "Is that how you all feel?"

"If it went on feelings I think we'd all love to just go with Bruce's plan," said Steve, "but we can't afford to get emotional about this because when that happens mistakes are made and you've already said there is too much at stake for that."

Tony sat back in his chair and blew out a noisy, frustrated breath but couldn't argue against what they were saying.

Agent Coulson stepped up to the console and pressed a few buttons. "If it helps any, we already have intel on the Defenders." A screen appeared in front of him of a dark-haired man with strong features. "Abner Jenkins, aka The Beetle, was a master mechanic at an aircraft parts factory. Our sources suggest that he became bored with his low paid, underappreciated job and was looking to branch out."

"Enter Justin Hammer," said Bruce, finally having had his fill of donuts now.

"We believe Hammer approached him with an offer to fund his ideas for an armour-plated, strength-augmenting suit which also had the ability to fly, thanks to the attached wing unit. Among his arsenal, apart from the suit are suction-fingered gloves and a cybernetic control helmet. He can also create an electrostatic burst of energy by touching his fingers together-"

"And it hurts like hell," muttered a still annoyed Clint.

"Our profiling says the guy is looking for fame and fortune and the Defenders is a definite way to achieve both," continued on Coulson. He put up another picture of a man with long blonde hair. "This is Mark Scarlotti, aka Backlash. Scarlotti was a brilliant student with a bright future. He graduated with top honours from college and was employed by Stark Industries."

Tony sat up straighter, staring at the image intently, trying to remember if he'd met him. He frowned. "I have a standing order that my teams recruit the best and the brightest from every university in all fields but I'm usually not involved."

"Mark Scarlotti was definitely that," agreed Coulson. "However, he made some bad choices when it came to the people who chose to spend his time with and made some ill-advised deals with hopes of a big payoff. Eventually, he ended up developing weapons for the Maggia and then ultimately for himself. We believe Hammer approached him with the technology he still possessed from his association with Ivan Vanko and there was a collaboration which resulted in Backlash's armoury." Coulson changed the picture again to show a head shot of a man with brown hair and eyes. "Donald Gill, aka Blizzard, was a minor thug hired for Hammer Industries. Again Hammer provided him with a suit, this time one with the capacity to create intense cold while the suit protects him. Not much else is known about him other than the fact that I suspect he, more than any of the others has real loyalty to Hammer." Coulson moved to the next picture of a man with dark brown hair and rough features. "And finally Aleksei Sytsevich, aka Rhino, was just another thug in the Russian Mafia who was all about easy money and would most likely have had a short and brutal life. He allowed Russian scientists to experiment on him with a series of life-threatening chemical and radiation treatments designed to transform him over time into a superhuman. He was chosen for his muscular physique and low intelligence which they believed would insure his loyalty. Two scientists, Igor and Georgi apparently chose his form and permanently bonded the armour they'd created to his body, which included his horns to enhance his look of a rhinoceros for visual effect, no doubt."

Steve's lips thinned. "Big and dumb, not a great combination."

"At some point Hammer has found out about this science experiment and most likely bought his way in," concluded Coulson.

"I want those files," Tony instructed Coulson. "I want to study these guys myself."

Agent Coulson looked over at Fury who gave a slight incline of his head, approving it.

"So, what now?" asked Tony impatiently. "We just sit around and wait, is that the plan?"

"And stay out of trouble," agreed Fury. "Let us do our job and then you can do yours."

"I don't like this plan," said Tony tersely.

"Duly noted."

**oooOOOOooo**

Justin Hammer gave a quick little twirl as he walked back to Senator Kidston, a glass of champagne in each hand. He offered one of the fluted glasses to the other man. "Senator?"

Kidston eyed the glass. "It's a little early to be drinking, don't you think?"

Hammer's smile widened. "It's a day of celebration," he cajoled him. "I think we can bend the rules just this once."

Kidston took the offered glass and half-smiled. "It went well today."

"Of course it did, Senator," said Hammer blithely. "Why wouldn't it? The world has a new band of superheroes, ones happy to work with the government and you're the man to ensure that such a thing was possible. You're a hero, Senator, an American patriot they will write books about in the years to come."

Kidston looked pleased at the thought of that. "And what about the Avengers?"

"Oh, they'll show their hand soon enough," said Hammer dismissively. "They're a spent force who will end up hoisting themselves with their own petard in the very near future, I'm guessing. They don't want what is best for the American people otherwise they would have worked with the government. We can't have these kinds of vigilantes running around without any kind of accountability."

"Exactly," said Kidston firmly. "The Avengers aren't team players and are out of control."

Hammer held up his glass. "To being in control," he toasted.

Kidston clinked his glass against Hammer's. "To being in control," he agreed and both men drank deeply from their glasses.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N****: Hey guys, another chapter. **

**One of my guest reviewers was suggesting I wrap this story up soon and I can't disagree with them, only I do have still quite a few more scenes to get in before the finale, so it may not be as quickly as they'd like. Sorry about that. :) **

**I am pushing as hard as I can to get this story finished though and consequently my chapters may be getting longer as I cram all the final details I need for the finale into as few a chapters as I can manage. **

**The way I've reconciled building up the tension with the Defenders reveal and then slowing down the action again is that you're basically going to be on the same journey as the Avengers. They know there is a threat, and they just want to get to the big showdown, but they have to wait for more intel to come to light. That's pretty much the same boat I've put you all in, gentle reader, so I fully expect some of you to become a bit frustrated, just like the Avengers. But then I figure it'll make the final showdown that much more rewarding when it comes... therein lies the plan, anyway. Whether it will end up just turning you off and getting boring remains to be seen. **

**I'm really hoping to get to the final showdown in ten chapters or less, hopefully a lot less, but I'm quite bad at underestimating these things, so I'll stick with ten chapters to be on the safe side. I appreciate everyone hanging in there with such a long fic and I'm very humbled and grateful of your continued interest. **

**Thank you. :D **

**Chapter Forty-Four**

Bruce settles himself more comfortably in his chair as he immersed himself into the complicated chemical formulas in front of him on the screen. Tony had asked him to look at some of his work with trying to understand the nano-technology they'd recovered from the mantis pieces and how they could try and get them out of the Iron Man suit. It was good to have something occupy his mind with as Fury had put them on lockdown since yesterday. Tony had thrown himself into his work, just to have something to occupy his mind with, while Steve and Thor seemed to be more at a loose end. They were like children caught inside on a rainy day and they were driving Bruce crazy. In the end he'd sent them off into the games room next door to find something to do. Bruce went to reach for a pen to write down some notes and accidentally knocked it off the bench. He bent down to retrieve it just as a pool ball whistled by just where his head had been a split second before. The hard ball embedded itself in the nearby wall, sending a fine spray of plaster and paint over everything. Bruce slowly straightened up as Steve and Thor appeared in the doorway, both with concerned looks on their faces.

"Verily," said Thor urgently, "did thy sustain an injury, Bruce Banner?"

"No," said Bruce flatly, "but that was only dumb luck. What the hell are you two doing?"

"I was teaching Thor how to play pool," explained Steve.

Bruce looked at the broken cue in Thor's hand and then past him to the pool table with a huge rip in the red felt down the middle. "I don't think you and I play pool the same way, Steve."

Steve looked back at the table and pulled a regretful face. "Yeah, we had a few teething problems."

"I believe this stick was already broken when I picked it up," said Thor, by way of a defence.

"Of course it was," said Bruce dryly. "Maybe you two could find something to do which has less potential to create lethal missiles?"

"Like what?" asked Steve in frustration. "We're going crazy here thinking about what Hammer might be up to. I'm not designed for all of this inaction. I've already gone through my stock of punching bags."

"Turn the TV on," Bruce advised them. "Nothing will stop you thinking like watching mindless TV." He brushed some dust off his computer screen. "Isn't your soap on about now?"

Thor nodded. "I believe today may be the day Ernesto and Rosalina become bound in wedlock."

"A wedding," said Bruce approvingly, "that'll be mindless enough for you and you can see how people in this realm do that kind of thing. It'll be good research for you and Jane."

Thor nodded. "It would help me to understand your Midgardian customs more."

Bruce waved them away. "Okay, you two do that then and let me get some work done."

"I don't think Rosalina will go through with it," said Steve as they headed off to the media room. "She's still in love with Ernesto's brother, Umberto."

"But Umberto has not laid claim to his lady love," Thor argued. "A man must make his intentions known."

"You shouldn't get married if you're not in love with the other person," Steve shot back. "It makes a mockery of the whole thing."

"Love is not always the reason for marriage in Asgard, Steve Rogers. It can be about alliances and building kingdoms."

Bruce rolled his eyes as they argued back and forth on the subject and then he couldn't hear them any longer as they disappeared into the other room. He was just settling back into his equations when Steve reappeared in the doorway. "The subtitles aren't working. We don't know what they're saying."

"Can't you work it out?" asked Bruce in frustration.

"No, we don't speak Spanish." Steve gave him a pointed look. "Unlike you."

Bruce's eyes widened. "Do you really expect me to come and translate for you?"

"It was your idea in the first place." Steve shrugged. "I guess we could play another round of pool."

Bruce grunted, knowing he wasn't going to get work done either way. "Fine, I'll translate but one episode, that's it. You can get Tony to fix the subtitles after that."

Steve nodded. "Thanks."

And that was how, a few minutes later, Bruce found himself sitting between Thor and Steve on the sofa, translating a Spanish soap opera. There was a burst of dialog from the dark-haired woman on the TV screen, her breasts heaving in the wedding dress as she spat words at the other man on screen. "No," Bruce translated in a monotone, at odds with the emotion of the woman, "I cannot marry you, Ernesto, because I love another, I love your brother, Umberto."

"Nailed it," said Steve in satisfaction.

"And I am pregnant with his child," continued on the Bruce.

Thor and Steve made startled noises at this newest bit of information just as a matronly woman burst into the room and started to shout at the woman. "You cannot be pregnant with Umberto's child," Bruce deadpanned, "because Umberto is your brother." Thor and Steve gave gasps of shock at this unexpected turn while Bruce sighed heavily at the over the top melodrama, regretting his decision. "I should have taken my chances with the pool balls," he lamented.

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint stepped out of the elevator and readjusted the pack on his back which contained most of his clothing. In his line of work he tended to travel light. His injuries from yesterday were still sore but Clint had already dispensed with the crutches. The metal had missed all the major muscle groups in his leg, so there had been minimal damage, which was a good thing. The rest was just bumps and bruises which would settle down over the next couple of days. Like everyone else in the team he was finding it hard to wait on further intel, so Clint had decided to move into the Avenger's Tower, just to have something to occupy his time with. Of course, it didn't hurt that Natasha had already moved in last night. They'd told each other the news of them moving into the Tower together and had caught each other out. Clint had teased Natasha that it must have been fate, a concept she hadn't been overly receptive about. He liked pushing her buttons, mainly because he was one of the few people in the world who knew Natasha had buttons, let alone what they were. Clint walked by the open door of the media room on the way to seeing Tony and glanced in. Steve, Bruce and Thor were sitting on the sofa together, watching TV.

"But I love you," said Bruce in a thoroughly underwhelmed voice, "I did not know you were my brother when we slept together. This child was made out of love and we cannot be condemned for that-"

Clint stopped walking and arched an eyebrow as he took in what was on screen and the fact that Bruce was translating a Spanish soap opera for some reason. He shook his head and kept on walking, not sure what to make of that. He kept on down the hall until he was at a locked glass door, through which he could see Tony bent over his work bench. Clint tapped on the glass to get his attention.

Tony looked up to see him standing there. "Let him in, Jarvis," he ordered the computer controlling the whole building.

The door slid open and Clint limped in. "Thought I should let you know I'm here."

Tony nodded. "Sure, you're on level eighteen, is that okay?"

"I've come from living in a metal tube with five other guys," said Clint dryly. "I think it'll be fine." He paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Do you know that Steve, Thor and Bruce are watching soap operas together?"

Tony went back to the circuitry he was working on. "Yup."

Clint arched an eyebrow. "It's kind of surprising to me that you haven't been making that information public and ragging on them."

"If I walked up to you and told you that Captain America, Thor and the Hulk liked to watch soap operas, would you have believed me?"

"No," said Clint without hesitation.

Tony shrugged. "There you go. Although, B doesn't usually watch the soaps, so I'm not sure what that is about."

"I think he was translating for them," said Clint and hesitated. "Or else he's pregnant with his brother's child."

"Hey, boss, can I get out now?"

Clint started at the sound of Happy's voice and looked over to his left to where Happy was strapped to a chair in some kind of pod thing and hanging upside down. "Happy," he said in surprise, "what are you doing?"

"He's helping me with a project I'm working on," said Tony. "And no, you can't get out yet. I've got a few more adjustments to do to get the balance right."

"I'm pretty sure the Geneva Convention would have something to say about this," protested the red-faced Happy.

"Probably that it was awesome," agreed Tony.

"Why can't you do this yourself?" he complained.

"I need a certain weight to buoyancy ratio."

"Is that a fat joke?" asked Happy indignantly.

Clint tilted his head to get a better look at Happy. "Happy is pretty red in the face, Tony, are you sure you shouldn't flip him upright?"

"He's fine," said Tony dismissively, still working on the circuitry.

"No, I'm not."

"Ignore him."

"What are you making?" asked Clint curiously.

"It's my All Terrain Stealth Pod," said Tony, "it'll allow anyone inside it to move about undetected while protecting them from everything up to a nuclear strike."

Clint scratched his cheek and took in the clear dome with the upside down Happy strapped into the middle of it. "It kind of looks like a giant hamster ball."

"It's not," said Tony quickly, "especially if Pepper asks, it's _definitely_ not a hamster ball."

"Okay, it's not a hamster ball, but I don't know about the stealth part of it. Happy is pretty obvious in it."

"I'm working on a type of shielding that will make it invisible to the naked eye and other spectrums," said Tony.

"I can see stars before my eyes," fretted Happy. "Doesn't that happen before blood vessels start bursting?"

Tony shook his head. "I can't work with these kinds of distraction."

"Then release me back into the wild!" declared Happy. "I didn't ask for this."

"I'm creating history, don't you want to be a part of that?"

"No!"

"Who doesn't want to be a part of history?"

"The guy whose part involves his head exploding," said Happy in annoyance.

Clint backed up. "I'll leave you to it, guys. This feels like a scenario that shouldn't have any witnesses."

"If you don't see me for a couple of days, go ahead and assume Tony has killed me," said Happy morosely.

"Stop being such a drama queen," Tony ordered him.

"Stop making me into your lab monkey," he shot back.

"You said you didn't want to be a ladder anymore," Tony argued. "Well, good news, Hap, you're not a ladder."

"This feels like a sideways move at best," said Happy dourly. "And Pepper is going to be pissed if she finds out about this hamster ball project."

"It's not a hamster ball," said Tony hastily, "stop saying that."

"Or what, you'll hang me upside down until I pass out?"

Clint shook his head as the two bickered like an old married couple and let himself out of the lab, neither men noticing. Apparently he'd moved into a mad house. That was good to know. Clint headed towards level eighteen and stepped off into a floor with an apartment which had been decorated in understated elegance. Clint half-smiled, suspecting he was seeing Pepper's handiwork here. He threw his duffle bag onto the bed. "Guess that's me moved in," he declared and promptly headed off to find Natasha. Clint found her on level twenty, also moved into her stylish apartment. "Nice," he observed as he stepped off the elevator.

Natasha was cleaning her guns at the kitchen table, all the pieces laid out neatly. "It's definitely a step up," she agreed.

"I've just come from talking with Tony."

"How is he handling the waiting?"

Clint thought about that. "Currently he's torturing Happy, so I'm going to say not good but plenty of room for things to get worse."

"Agreed, there are definitely worse things Tony could be doing," said Natasha philosophically.

"Not if you're Happy," said Clint in amusement. "I don't know how he puts up with what Tony does to him."

"Tony was indirectly responsible for setting you alight and ending up in jail a couple of days ago," Natasha noted, "and now you're moving into his place."

Clint considered that. "Yeah, the guy has a way about him. I don't know what it is, but you kind of get over things quickly with him."

Natasha looked him over. "How are you feeling?"

"Like we should be doing something other than talking about interior decorating," he said dryly, taking a seat across from her.

"The waiting is always the worst bit in a mission," she said quietly, "but it can be the most important path. Timing can be everything." Natasha looked up from her gun cleaning. "I've made a decision."

Clint didn't have to ask about what. He unconsciously held his breath, waiting for Natasha to continue.

"I'm going to have the operation," she said with no emotion, "but not until this business with Hammer and the Defenders is done and dusted."

Clint tried not to blow out his relieved breath. "I'm glad, I think it's the right thing to do."

Natasha shrugged, typically not being effusive. "I've never run from a fight in my life. I don't suppose there is any point in starting now."

Clint reached out and put his hand over hers. "You're not alone, Nat, whatever happens, you're not alone."

Natasha just half-smiled and didn't comment but she also didn't take her hand away and that was all Clint needed to know that she was alright with him being there for her.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve stood with his arms folded in front of him as he watched the news on the TV. Senator Kidston was front and centre, delivering a scathing attack on the Avengers.

"-these so-called heroes were unable to stop these attacks on our cities, no doubt because they are more intent on rebel rousing then actually doing good." Video footage was inserted of the melee at the Carnaval des Lumières from two nights ago.

Steve's lips thinned in annoyance at how they were being portrayed.

"Are we meant to be putting our trust and faith in these men who seem more intent on raising hell then saving the innocent?" Kidston demanded to know. "These Avengers who refuse to be accountable to anyone, are these the people who are going to save us and-"

"Mute," said Bruce tersely behind him. "Ignore him, Cap, that guy has an agenda so big you can see it from space."

Steve could feel the tension in his body mounting. "I'm going for a walk," he said shortly, grabbing his jacket and heading towards the elevator.

"Director Fury wished us to remain out of sight for the time being," Thor reminded him.

"Not my problem," said Steve shortly as the elevator doors closed on him. The elevator quickly transported him to the ground floor and he was stepping briskly through the foyer and out the front entrance of the Avenger Tower into the throng of New York pedestrians. Steve shoved his hands into his pockets, mind filled with dark thoughts. What was the point of being woken up from all of that ice if all he could do was sit on his hands and wait? Steve felt like he'd been waiting for seventy years and he was sick of it. There was a direct threat to not only the Avengers, but to the whole world and he was stuck inside like a grounded child. He knew he wasn't the only one feeling this way but it didn't make it any easier. The feeling that something truly awful was heading their way wouldn't leave Steve and he just wanted to feel like he was doing something to stop whatever it was from happening. Even though he tried not to do it anymore, Steve couldn't help but wish for how things were back in the forties. He knew his place there, his role in fighting the good fight and everything just seemed so much simpler. They pointed him at the bad guy and he did his thing. In this world it was becoming harder to know who the bad guy was and how to take them down. In that moment Steve had never felt more out of place and time.

"Captain, Captain Rogers?"

Steve heard his name being called behind him and he turned around reluctantly, not really wanting to talk to anyone right then. When Steve saw who was calling his name the breath left his body in a shocked rasp as his whole world tilted, stomach tightening into a knot…

**A/N****: Any guesses as to who it might be? **


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N****: Sorry, took longer than I'd like to get this chapter done, but the good news is that I should have the next chapter for you done by tomorrow (unless this pain in my side turns out to be something serious... which hopefully won't be the case, don't fancy having my appendix removed in the next couple of days . ). **

**Anyhoo, where was I, oh yes, loving reading all of your guesses as to who the mystery person was and one of you was spot on... read on to find out how you did... :D **

**Chapter Forty-Five**

Steve blinked a couple of times, trying to work out if he was dreaming the sight in front of his eyes, his brain unable to comprehend what this meant.

The dark-haired woman walked up to him smiling. "Captain Rogers," she said again, "I thought that was you."

A suddenly dry mouth rasped out a single word. "Peggy," he said hoarsely, unable to take his eyes off the mirage of the woman he'd lost so long ago.

She gave a puzzled little laugh. "It's Margaret actually, Maggie for short."

Steve's heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to fathom what he was seeing. This woman was the spitting image of Peggy Carter. He couldn't help but stare at her, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"Are-are you alright, Captain?" she asked hesitantly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Steve cleared his throat, trying to recover. "I-ah-sorry, you just-ah-caught me off guard."

Her smile widened. "I wonder how many people can say they did that to Captain America?" she pondered teasingly.

Steve knew he was still staring at her, but he couldn't help himself. All his feelings for Peggy, the ones he'd tried to bury, came rushing back to him and Steve was stuck for words. The grief he felt over losing Peggy was at odds at the happiness he had at seeing her again, even though it wasn't her. Steve's mind was a jumble of confused thoughts and emotions.

Maggie didn't seem to have the same problem. She stuck her hand out for him to shake. "I guess we should do this properly, Captain Rogers, I'm Maggie Riley and I was hoping you could give me a minute of your time."

Steve stared down at her hand as though he'd forgotten how to shake hands. It took him a moment, but he managed to reach out and take her hand in his, wrapping his fingers around her. Her hand felt small and warm in his own and in his mind's eye Steve was swamped with memories of Peggy and that frantic first and last kiss between them.

"Captain?" she said hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Steve forced himself out of his stupor and to let go of her hand. He gave her an uneven smile and nodded. "Yes, sorry, I'm fine." For one wild moment had let himself hope that Peggy had somehow managed to be alive and well in the 21st century like he was but it was clear that this Maggie was meeting him for the first time. Steve swallowed his bitter disappointment.

"So, is it okay?"

He stared blankly at her. "What?"

"Is it okay for me to have a minute of your time?" Maggie repeated.

"Oh, yeah, sure, of course," said Steve hastily.

Maggie looked around and nodded at a nearby diner. "Shall we go in there and sit for a minute?"

"Yes," said Steve, not wanting this moment to be over yet. She may not be Peggy, but Steve couldn't help but let himself day dream for a moment.

They settled into the diner booth and the waitress brought them plastic covered menus to pursue. Steve didn't even look at his, he couldn't take his eyes off of the woman in front of his.

"I think I'll just have a cappuccino" said Maggie, handing her menu back to their waitress. "Captain?"

"Sure, coffee would be great, black, thanks." The waitress hurried off with their order.

Maggie settled back in the booth and smiled at him. The smile made Steve's stomach turn over nervously. It was just too familiar.

"I guess you're wondering what I wanted to talk to you about?"

Steve had a lot of questions but that was as good as place to start as anywhere. "Okay."

"I work in PR, do you know what that is?"

"Public relations," said Steve. He half-smiled. "We had it back in the forties."

"Of course you did," she said quickly, "sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

"You didn't," he said simply.

"I've been watching the news and the Avengers aren't getting a good time of it lately," Maggie noted. "With the arrival of the Defenders and Senator Kidston's vendetta against the Avengers, you're not getting a lot of good press."

Steve's lips tightened but he shrugged. "These things happen."

"The Defenders have a lot of public and government support right now," continued on Maggie, "and as I'm sure you're award, public perception is everything."

"I thought the truth was everything," said Steve quietly.

Maggie gave a short laugh. "The truth rides on the wave of public opinion, Captain."

"Not where I come from, ma'am."

"With all due respect, Captain, you're not where you came from anymore."

Steve grimaced. "I know."

"I didn't mean to be blunt, but that is just how things are now," said Maggie apologetically. "But that is where I want to help you and the Avengers."

Steve frowned a little. "How?"

"We need to run a PR campaign showing the Avengers for the heroic patriots they are," she said earnestly. "You're being given unfair and biased commentary in the media and I say it's time to even that up and hit back with your side of things."

Steve's frown deepened. "The Avengers aren't interested in being in competition with the Defenders, Miss Riley."

"Call me Maggie," she said quickly, "and we're not talking about competition here, simply presenting the real facts of the situation. I mean, who are these Defenders, they suddenly appear from nowhere and are being bankrolled by an ex-con? Come on, there is something fishy going on there and the Senator is up for re-election next year and you can't tell me he hasn't got an agenda in all of this."

Steve couldn't help but be impressed by Maggie's insight. "Maybe," he hedged, "but what does PR for the Avengers have to do with anything about that?"

"The people need to know the Avenger's side of things," said Maggie sincerely. "We need to run PR events where people can get to know the Avengers for the true heroes they are and not for the renegades certain elements of the media is trying to paint them as."

"The Avengers aren't worried about public opinion of them. We're here to do a job, protect the earth and that is what we're going to do."

"But you're not going to be able to do that effectively if people don't trust you," she argued.

Steve tilted his head a little. "Why are you doing this, Maggie? Why is it so important to you that the Avengers have good press?"

Maggie looked down at the table and gave a sad little smile. "My grandfather and I were very close," she said quietly. "He died last year."

"I'm sorry," said Steve sincerely.

"He was eighty-four and he'd had a full life," said Maggie softly, "so there is nothing to be sorry about. Grandad was in the war, the war you helped America and her allies win, Captain. He never spoke about it much, I think the memories were too painful, the things he saw, what he had to do."

Steve's eyes clouded over, understanding the other man's pain.

Maggie brightened. "But there was one thing he was always happy to talk about and that was you."

Steve's eyes widened. "Me?"

"My grandfather would tell the story of how they were in France, trying to hold the line against the oncoming German army. All the soldiers were exhausted from fighting day in and day out in the mud and rain and never seeming to make any ground. All there was every day was more death and more despair, he said it was like being in hell. Then one day Captain America and his Howling Commandos appeared to help break the stalemate. The way you lead all those men and fought beside them changed everything for those soldiers and especially my grandfather. You made them dig deep and find something new inside of themselves, to be more than they ever dreamed they could be. Captain America is more than a man with a shield and extraordinary abilities, he's a symbol of hope and courage and I'm not prepared to sit idly by and watch that legacy be taken away by the likes of Justin Hammer." Maggie's cheeks were flushed by the end of her passionate speech.

Steve didn't know what to say to all of that. "I was doing exactly what your grandfather was doing, Maggie, protecting our country from evil."

"And you've been given a second chance to do that again," said Maggie, "but you have to let people help you. This is a new world you've woken up to Captain and it has new rules. I want to be able to help you and the Avengers be the symbol of hope and courage that I know they are meant to be. Let me help you."

Steve hesitated. "I'm not sure better PR is what this situation needs."

Maggie arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm sure the Avengers and SHIELD are doing their own digging into what Hammer and his bought and paid for goons are up to."

Steve looked at her in surprise but Maggie continued on blithely.

"But in the meantime it's not going to do anyone any harm to fight a little fire with an even bigger fire," she said confidently. "I can get all of you on TV doing interviews, some positive PR campaigns going-"

"We're a brand?" asked Steve sceptically. "When did that happen?"

"The moment you guys suited up and took on those aliens in the middle of New York City," she informed him. "The Avengers saved the world that day and I say the world shouldn't forget that so easily, plus we need to work on letting them see you in action more. You're only as successful as your last mission."

Steve was amazed. "So, what, past good deeds don't count, just the last one?"

Maggie shrugged. "It's the 21st century, Captain, everyone has goldfish memories."

Steve looked at her blankly.

"Five seconds long," she clarified.

"How did they work that out? And call me Steve."

Maggie pursed her lips. "I don't know, now that you mentioned it, read them a shopping list and see if they could remember it in five seconds, maybe? You never know how these mad scientists think." She smiled at him. "Steve." Maggie said his name with deliberate emphasis and it made his stomach tighten.

Steve laughed a little nervously. "Sounds about right. I live with a couple of mad scientists and they're anything but predictable."

"So, are you in?" she asked hopefully as their coffees arrived.

Steve shook his head. "I can't speak for the others."

"You're their leader," Maggie pointed out.

Steve half-smiled. "The Avengers don't work that way. Everyone has a say in what happens."

"Very diplomatic." Maggie stirred her coffee and looked to be regrouping. "Alright, how about I make the same pitch to them and let them make up their own minds. How does that sound?"

"I don't know," he said reluctantly, "maybe."

"I'm going to take that as a yes," she said cheekily before taking a sip of her coffee.

They drank their coffees and talked back and forth with Steve having to continually remind himself that he wasn't talking with Peggy. It was just that Maggie looked so much like her, it was hard for him to wrap his head around. When their coffees were finished, Maggie said she'd walk back to the Tower with him and Steve certainly had no objections to the suggestion. They continued to talk as they walked and Steve found out that Maggie was twenty-six, a born and bred New Yorker and had gone out on her own to start her own PR company six months ago. Steve just found himself staring at her as she talked and tried to pay attention as best he could. They were almost at the front of the Avenger's Tower when Steve noticed a small, blonde woman walking out of the front door. Olivia glanced their way and immediately stopped when she caught sight of him. Steve's eyes went wide as he realised it was Friday and well after the time he'd said he'd meet with Olivia and her class. He was instantly assaulted with guilt and hurried up to her. "Olivia, I'm so sorry," he apologised quickly.

Olivia looked relieved to see him and smiled. "It's alright, I told the children that when you're a superhero you sometimes can't always keep appointments and other more important things can crop up unexpectedly." Olivia shot a little look at Maggie and then quickly looked away. "I just thought I'd check and make sure you were okay and I can see that you are, so I'll be going now."

Maggie was looking between them with interest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make Steve break an engagement, I kind of just pounced on him in the street," she said. "It wasn't his fault."

Steve wasn't going to let anyone else take the blame for his distractedness. "It was entirely my fault. I'm so sorry, Olivia, I've had a lot on my mind and I just completely forgot." He grimaced. "I can't believe I did that. Was your class really disappointed?"

Olivia just gave a calm smile. "They're children, they get over things pretty quickly."

"I'll come and see them on Monday," he promised her, "and try to make up for being so rude."

Olivia shook her head. "You don't have to make up for anything, Steve, these things happen, it's fine." She included Maggie in her smile. "I'll let you two get back to it. Sorry for intruding."

"You're not intruding," said Steve hastily. Olivia's expressive eyes were unable to hide the disappointment in their brown depths and he felt like hell for having been the cause of a woman who'd only been kind and generous to him. "I want to make this up to you and your class, Olivia."

Olivia fixed a bright smile to her face. "I told you, it's alright, Steve, don't worry about us. You have a lot going on right now like you said, you should concentrate on that."

"Olivia," said Steve unhappily.

Olivia was already smiling at Maggie. "Nice to almost meet you," she said politely before looking up at Steve. "And nice to almost meet you too, Steve," she said softly. Olivia turned around and walked off in the other direction.

Steve watched her go, not knowing what else to say and feeling like a complete heel.

"Who was that?" asked Maggie with interest. She gave him a cheeky look. "One of your fans?"

Steve sighed as regret pulled at him. "No, I was a fan of hers."

"Oh," said Maggie and looked a little surprised, "you were seeing each other?"

"No, yes, I don't know, I kind of thought-" Steve cut off his jumbled ravings and shook his head. "I don't know what I thought."

Maggie put her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make things awkward for you, Steve."

"You didn't," Steve promised her, "this is all down to me."

Maggie bit her bottom lip and wrinkled her nose prettily. "I don't mean to be a pushy New Yorker, but will you still be thinking about my proposal for you and the Avengers?"

"I'll think about it, but I'm pretty sure the Avengers won't go for it," he conceded.

Maggie gave him a playful look. "Then I guess I'm just going to have to convince you all, starting with you, Captain Rogers." She winked at him. "I promise you, I'm a hard girl to say no to."

"When have I ever said no to you, Peggy?" he replied, forgetting himself for moment.

She gave him a confused look. "Peggy?"

"Sorry, I meant Maggie," he said in embarrassment. Damn, he really was losing his grip.

"Old girlfriend?" she teased him.

Steve moved uncomfortably on the spot. "Something like that."

Maggie sent him a curious look but then just smiled. "How about I take you to lunch tomorrow and we can talk more about my ideas?" Her gaze became warmer. "Or maybe we could just talk."

Steve felt like he'd fallen back through time and he was back in his own era, looking at all the possibilities which had been before him when they'd made that first date plans which fate had stolen from them. Maggie had elements of Peggy about her, her straightforwardness and her self-confidence really reminded Steve of the woman he'd lost long ago. Was it wrong to compare the two, should he just walk away now before things became even more confused? "Sure, that sounds great." His mouth had decided the answer to that one it seemed.

Maggie's beautiful face lit up. "I'll see you tomorrow then. I'll swing by at eleven and we can take it from there."

Steve nodded. "Just one condition, I'm paying."

Maggie gave a little laugh. "Such a gentleman."

Steve still struggled with the concept of women not expecting men to pay when they went out. It just didn't feel right to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Steve."

Maggie held out her hand for him to shake it again and this time Steve didn't hesitate, taking her hand in his and squeezing gently. Fresh memories assaulted him of his first meeting with Peggy and then he was being forced to let go of Maggie's hand as she turned to leave. Steve watched Maggie cross the road and head off down the street before he slowly made his way back into the Avenger's Tower. He made his way up to the media room to find all the Avengers other than Natasha there.

Bruce looked over at him. "Did your walk clear your head?"

Anything but. "Yes," lied Steve and didn't offer any further information. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to share the news he'd found a Peggy doppelganger in this century with the others. Maybe it was because he didn't know what to do with that information himself yet.

Tony looked him over. "You look freaked out," observed Tony. He then looked at Thor. "And you look nervous. Both of these emotions intrigue me but I've got to know what would make a demi-god nervous. What's up, Thor?"

"I am torn," admitted Thor.

"Guess that's why you're thor," punned Tony.

Thor just stared at him.

"It was a joke, a play on words," Tony prompted him.

"Did you not tell me jokes were amusing, Tony Stark?" he deadpanned.

"Everyone's a critic," Tony sniffed. "I can't be using my A material all the time."

"Why are you torn, Thor?" asked Bruce. "Is this about Jane?"

"My words to Steve Rogers have haunted me this day," said Thor soberly. "I said a man must lay claim to his woman to show his love and yet I have not done this with Jane Foster." He frowned. "But with all that is happening with the Defenders and Hammer, I do not wish to desert the Avengers in their time of need."

Clint waved away his concerns. "Nothing is happening, Thor, that's our problem. That's why Bruce is translating Spanish soap operas, Steve is wandering the streets of New York aimlessly and Tony is making a giant hamster ball."

"Safety pod," said Tony hastily, looking over his shoulder nervously for Pepper, "we all agreed to call it a safety pod."

"Whatever," said Clint dismissively. "The point is, nothing is happening here and you may as well go and do something productive with your time. You're only a phone call away and if we need you, we'll call you."

Thor hesitated. "And you are sure of this?" he asked, looking at them all.

"Of course we're sure," said Tony roundly. "I'll even lend you one of my private jets to fly in style." He gave Thor a pointed look. "Don't touch anything in the plane. Planes have a habit of falling out of the sky when you start breaking things in them."

"Verily, you condemn me without reason, Tony Stark, I do not break everything I touch," protested Thor.

Tony glanced over at his pool table with the huge rip up the middle in the felt and then back at Thor.

Thor didn't quite meet his eye. "Tis not broken, the table still stands."

"The day isn't over yet," said Tony dryly. "I have faith you'll deliver the death strike before the end of the day."

"Only you won't because you'll be a on a plane to see Jane," said Bruce.

Thor looked relieved. "Truly, you have only use your electrickery devices and I will be by your sides to stand against our foes in an instant," he promised them.

Tony patted him on the back. "Go and see your lady love, Thor. We'll handle things here until you get back. In fact, bring Doctor Foster back here, I'd love to meet her."

"Mayhaps," said Thor, making no promises.

"Just remember all that I've taught you about getting the girl to fall for you," continued on Tony blithely.

"And do the opposite," Clint inserted. "Don't blow up Jane or end up with Happy having your name tattooed on his ass."

Bruce nodded sagely. "Words to live by."

Steve wasn't really listening to their back and forth as he quietly left the room to head to his apartment, needing to think about everything that had happened in such a short period of time. It was funny, but all of a sudden Hammer and his band of wannabes suddenly felt like the least of Steve's problems...

**A/N****: Poor old Steve, he's gone from no girl, to one girl he didn't know what to do with, to two girls he doesn't know what to do with. LOL What are your thoughts on this new character – love her, hate her, indifferent? Steve has an important story arc in this story and it's all about him dealing with his past and finding his way in the future, so I thought this deviation was important. **

**Now, I know I promised the reveal of Pepper's secret in this chapter but this chapter just got huge because I was introducing a new character. I promise the next couple of chapters will be all about that and oh yeah, a little hint as to what JH might be up to through all of this. ;) Thanks for reading as always, guys. You're all made of awesome. :D And I promise I'll try and pick up the pace a bit more in the next few chapters. **


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N****: Thank you everyone for you feedback on the introduction of Maggie in the last chapter. I see she has mixed reviews, which is absolutely fine by me. ;) **

**Lots of Pepperony in this chapter for you to enjoy, and yes, finally some movement is being made on the 'is she/isn't she' front. **

**Hope you enjoy...**

**Chapter Forty-Six**

Tony moved restlessly in the bed, sleep evading him. He rolled over onto his side and was greeted with the graceful sweep of Pepper's naked back as she lay sleeping on her front. It was impossible not to envy the way she could fall asleep so deeply and automatically. Tony's brain would simply not switch off that easily. When he wasn't immersed in trying to solve the intricacies of the nano-technology or fiddling with the workings of the safety pod prototype, his thoughts were with Hammer and what that madman and his band of cronies were up to. Tony wasn't used to having his thoughts so divided and he was having trouble concentrating on any task properly. It was frustrating and annoying and stealing his sleep from him.

What was really worrying Tony was the fact that he hadn't been able to get to the bottom of the nano-technology yet. A solution to a problem rarely eluded him for this long and he would have loved to have been able to talk to Noble Maniatis about his work. The guy being crazy didn't mean he wasn't brilliant. Tony's jaw hardened as he thought about how conveniently Hammer had made Maniatis disappear and he knew that with each unchallenged success on the behalf of Hammer, the cockier and out of control he was going to get. The need to be in control of this situation overwhelmed Tony and his brain refused to switch off as it ran through multiple thought patterns at the same time. Suddenly Tony had a thought about the formula he'd been using to try and decipher the nano-ridden metal he'd collected from the mantises. His brain exploded with ideas and equations as a new approach came to him. Tony rolled over in bed and grabbed the sharpie pen lying there but there was no paper. Frantic not to lose his thoughts, Tony wrote on the first blank canvas he could find, Pepper's naked back. His hand moved like a dervish as he jotted down line after line of scientific formulas on Pepper's back. He'd filled her entire back in less than a minute and was already eyeing off her arms when Pepper stirred.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled into the pillow.

Tony immediately stopped writing. "Ah, nothing."

She lifted her head from her pillow and looked up at him blearily. Pepper focused on the pen in his hand and then back at Tony. "What are you writing?" She blinked a couple of times. "What are you writing on?" Pepper sat up in bed abruptly, twisting so she could look over shoulder, her face clouding over when she caught sight of the formulas on her back. "You've been writing on me!" she declared in outrage.

Tony thought quickly and gave a little snort, shaking his head and pretending to wake up. "Wh-what's happening, what's going on?"

"Oh please," Pepper snapped, "you weren't asleep."

"Yes, I was," protested Tony hotly. He made a show of looking at the pen in his hand and then her back. "Oh my God, I must have been writing in my sleep."

"That's not a thing," said Pepper curtly.

"Yes, it is," responded Tony indignantly, "that's a huge thing."

"You were wide awake and too lazy to get out of bed and find some paper!"

Tony sucked in a gasp of feigned distress. "It's just as well I love you as much as I do, Pepper Potts, so I can take these outrageous slurs against my character in my stride." He held up a hand. "You don't have to thank me."

Pepper jabbed an angry finger at the door. "Get out!"

"But-" Tony started to protest.

"Get out, get out, get OUT!"

"I'm sensing you might need your space right now-" Tony didn't get to finish his sentence as Pepper hit him full in the face with his own pillow. It was surprising how painful feathers could be if applied to your face with enough force. He finally got the hint and climbed out of bed, collecting his clothes and walking to the door. As soon as he was through it, Tony turned around and opened his mouth but Pepper was out of bed, slamming the door in his face before he could say anything else. Tony grimaced as he scratched his beard. "I guess it's a bad time to ask if I can take a photo of her back and those formulas before I go."

"It's clear why they call you a genius, sir." Jarvis' cool voice agreed with him.

Tony looked up. "You saw all that, huh?"

"I see everything."

Tony pulled a face. "That's kinda creepy."

"I am what I have been designed to be."

"Okay, but you saw Pepper overreact in there, right? I mean, I've clearly got the higher moral ground in all of this."

"If the higher moral ground entails you standing naked in the living room and locked out of your sleeping quarters, then yes, your moral ground could not be any higher, sir."

"Shut up, Jarvis," Tony sulked.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony gave a little snort and slapped at his ear was something touched it. He was in the lab and had been working on some more equations when he must have finally fallen asleep, face down on his work bench. His ear was flicked again and Tony sat bolt upright, sleep addled and giving a bleary glare at the man in front of him. "Quit it," he grumbled, rubbing the ear Bruce had been flicking.

"Sorry, Sleeping Beauty, it was either the ear thing or I was going to push you off your chair because no way in hell was I going to kiss you."

"Thank God," muttered Tony. "I have standards."

"Unlikely." Bruce peeled a post-it note off the side of Tony's face which had become imprinted there as he slept. He looked Tony over. "You been here all night?"

"Since about one, yeah."

"Working?"

Tony thought of the notes he'd written on Pepper's back and how he needed them to get any real work done. "Not really."

Bruce's eyebrow shot up. "So, what, you're sleeping in the lab instead of with Pepper because of choice?"

"Absolutely," said Tony without hesitation. He picked up a circuit and fiddled with it. "Pepper's."

"Aha," said Bruce knowingly, "I suspected as much."

"She's being unreasonable," Tony protested.

"Is she?"

Tony sighed and put down the circuitry. "No."

"What did you do?"

"It was nothing, not really."

Bruce folded his arms in front of himself. "Clearly Pepper doesn't have the same definition of nothing as you do. So, what was this nothing precisely?"

"I wrote on her."

Bruce paused and then grimaced. "Is this a sex thing? Because, if it is, I'm going to stop you right now."

"No, no, I wrote on her." Tony made as if he was holding a pen and wrote in the air. "I wrote on her."

"Okay," said Bruce slowly. "I'm gathering by your current sleeping arrangements they weren't sweet nothings like 'I love you'."

"It was a formula for unbinding the nano-metal from my suit," said Tony unhappily. "It came to me in bed and I had to write it down right away before I forgot it."

"So you wrote it down on Pepper?" asked Bruce in disbelief.

"Her naked back was right there," Tony tried to explain. "I didn't even have to get out of bed."

Bruce covered half his face with his hand. "God, Tony, why can't you just cut your toenails in bed, or eat in bed, stuff that a normal man would do."

"That's a very good question." Pepper's calm voice came from behind Bruce and they both turned to see her walk into the room, fully dressed for a day at the office.

Tony couldn't help but smile at the sight of Pepper, but then, she always had that effect on him. "You know what they say, Pep, buyer beware. You knew what you were getting when you signed on the dotted line for me."

Pepper gave a sideways look to Bruce. "Unfortunately, there is no refund policy for this particular package."

"Bummer," noted Bruce.

Pepper smiled at him. "Bruce, would you excuse Tony and me for a moment? I need to have a word with him."

"Sure." Bruce went to leave them alone.

"If you don't see me around in an hour or so, call the police and have them start dredging the Hudson River for my body," Tony called after him.

"Like Pepper is going to leave enough of you to dispose of after what you did," Bruce threw back over his shoulder at him.

Tony looked at Pepper and gave her his most winsome smile. "Can I plead temporary insanity?"

"Yours or mine for having you in the bed with me in the first place?" she asked dryly. "You can be so thoughtless and inconsiderate sometimes, Tony. Why would you do something like that?"

"I wasn't thinking," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Pepper, it won't happen again."

Pepper shook her head. "Sometimes you just exasperate me, Tony Stark."

He gave her a coy look. "But you love me anyway, don't you?"

Pepper groaned as she let Tony pull her into an embrace. "It's an ugly, thankless task, but someone has to do it," she admitted grudgingly.

Tony rubbed Pepper's back and smiled at her. "And no one could do it was well as you do, Pep. I don't deserve you."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Well, that goes without saying." She sighed. "Just try and think about how your actions have an impact on those around you, Tony," Pepper urged him. "You don't live in a vacuum, there are people in your life now and you have to consider them. It can't always just be about what you want to do or how you're feeling all the time."

Tony grimaced. "You want me to grow up."

Pepper stroked his face. "I love the child in you, Tony, I don't want to turn you into a different man, I just want you to be able to recognise when your actions have an impact. I love that reckless, impulsive, self-absorbed side of you, but he's got his place, and that place isn't necessarily in our bedroom, that's all I'm trying to say to you."

Tony nodded slowly and wondered how he was going to broach the still touchy subject. "I understand. So, umm, Pepper, about those formulas I wrote on your back. I remember most of them but there were a couple-"

"I've already taken a picture of them in the mirror and sent them to your phone," she interrupted him. "Far be it from me to stand in the way of science."

"But they'll be backwards," Tony noted.

"You're a genius, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Tony looked at Pepper in wonder, knowing he'd never find another woman who understood him better and accepted him more. "I love you and I'll try and be more considerate of your feelings in the future."

"I love you too and I know you will."

Tony grinned and pulled her between his legs. "You and I fit together so perfectly. You'll always be the blackboard to my chalk, Pep."

Pepper fixed him with an unimpressed look.

Tony pulled a face. "Too soon?"

"Way too soon," she said dourly. "I recommend you stop talking and just kiss me."

"Now, that I can do," said Tony happily and pulled her into a series of drawn out kisses. His hands wandered lower to Pepper's backside, thoughts of turning this into a proper make up session but Pepper pushed on his chest.

She shook her head at him and smiled knowingly. "I have an early meeting."

"I'll be quick," Tony promised her, squeezing her bottom. "Five minutes top, I'll be in and out before you know it."

Pepper laughed. "Wow, you really know how to sell the romance, Mr. Stark."

"Cancel your meeting and I can promise to at least double that time," he urged her.

Pepper's lips twitched. "Tempting, but I really can't cancel this meeting with Mr. Hu, it's very important."

Tony pouted. "Unlike me."

"Remember our not behaving like a child conversation?" she teased him and kissed his pout away. "I'll be back before ten." Pepper went to leave and then noticed the half-formed safety pod in the corner of the lap. She frowned at it. "Is that what I think it is?"

"No," said Tony quickly, "absolutely not."

Pepper sent him a warning look. "Tony."

"It's not a hamster ball," Tony protested. "It's the opposite of a hamster ball!"

Pepper put her hands on her hips. "What's the opposite of a hamster ball?"

"Umm... an anti-hamster ball?"

"You are unbelievable," she said in exasperation.

**oooOOOooo**

Justin Hammer rocked back and forth on his heels as he addressed the men standing in front of him. "Defenders, I want to give you all kudos for the sterling work you have done so far."

Rhino frowned and looked to Backlash. "He's thanking us for doing a good job." Backlash translated.

"Then why not say that?" grunted Rhino in his thick, Russian accent.

Beetled grinned. "We are doing great, aren't we? Did you see the big special CNN did on us last night? We're bigger than Elvis!"

"No one bigger than Aleksei," said Rhino indignantly.

"I meant we're more famous than him," said Beetle impatiently.

"Who?"

Beetle rolled his eyes. "Elvis."

"Elvis who?"

Blizzard shook his head. "Get out, man, it's quicksand."

Beetle gave up. "Never mind, Rhino, my point is that we're all famous now." He looked at Hammer in satisfaction. "Your plan worked, General."

Hammer smiled. "My plan is only just beginning, my dear Beetle."

Beetle waved a distracted hand at him. "Right, right, the Avengers thing, I got it but honestly, boss, is it even worth it? We're already kicking their butt when it comes to who the people want to protect them and we're going to make a ton of money once all the endorsement deals come in. What more do we want?"

Hammer knew the answer to that question, but he wasn't going to share it with an underling like Abner Jenkins. "This game is far from over, Beetle, let's see how this plays out and what happens when the Avengers truly show their hand."

Backlash frowned. "You think they'll be coming for us, General?"

"One way or the other," agreed Hammer. "Don't become complacent about the Avengers, it'd be a mistake to underestimate them." A sly smile touched his lips. "Because that is what they are going to do with us and it's going to be their downfall." Before anyone could ask any further questions, Hammer's cell phone vibrated in his coat pocket. "Gentlemen," he said, indicating the screen in front of them, "your next mission, read and review, please. It's time to make the Swiss fall in love with us. Your shuttle leaves in less than a minute, make sure you're on it." As the Defenders took in the information of the avalanche in the Swiss Alps which had buried a village, Hammer walked into his office to take the call. "Hello, Jerry, I do hope this isn't just a social call."

"Ah, no, Mr. Hammer, it's not," said the ever nervous Jerry.

Hammer liked it when people were uneasy around him, it made him feel powerful, which he was, of course. "Then I'm assuming you have good news for me?"

"The nano-pede integration is at 72.8 percent, Mr. Hammer," said Jerry quickly.

A swell of satisfaction moved through Hammer as he drew closer to realising his ultimate goal. Those metal centipedes he'd dispersed in the Avenger's Tower with his gift of roses to Pepper had been hard at work it seemed. "How long before it's complete?"

"Maybe another day, possibly two, then it'll be time to implant the relay device." He hesitated. "Which I'm not really sure how that is going to work because without it, the whole thing won't function but getting the device into the Avenger's Tower isn't going to be as easy as it was with the nano-pedes, especially now."

"You let me worry about the details," said Hammer blithely, "everything is well in hand."

"Oh," said Jerry uncertainly, "okay."

"Contact me when we get to ninety percent," Hammer instructed him, "and I'll make my preparations this end."

"Yes, sir."

Hammer hung up and nodded to himself. Things couldn't have been going more perfectly if he'd tried. This was going to be the ultimate in revenge and upend Tony Stark's world, changing it forever and it was all going to be because of him. Hammer couldn't help the grin which came to his lips as he thought about the most delicious thing of all, that Stark was never going to see this coming.

**oooOOOooo**

Tony tapped lightly on Pepper's office door. "Special delivery of cute awesomeness for the lady Potts," he said playfully as he walked into her office to find her not there. Tony looked around and pouted. "Damn, not back yet." He had thought he'd take her out to dinner tonight, to make up for the using her as a white board incident. Maybe Paris, it was always lovely this time of year.

Bruce appeared in the doorway. "There you are. I've got some thoughts about those formulas you wanted me to look at. Got a minute?"

Tony nodded. "Sure, I'm just going to leave Pepper a note to let me know when she gets back." He looked at her very neatly ordered desk but didn't see any scraps of paper. Tony started to go through her drawers, looking for some paper to write on but couldn't find any. "How can an office have no paper?" he complained.

"It's a paperless society nowadays," said Bruce philosophically.

"A paperless society is what had me in the dog house last night," muttered Tony. "If there was more paper lying around, I'd have less need to write on people."

"I'm sure in your head that sounds completely rational," said Bruce dryly.

"It does and I am," said Tony as he headed over to the elegant set of drawers over in the corner, still looking for paper. He opened the first drawer and his attention was immediately caught by the little white box with the ribbon on it. It looked like it'd be the kind of box which held a pen in it. Tony grinned and picked it up, turning around to face Bruce. "Look like my girl has gotten me a present." He went to open it.

"You sure that is for you?" Bruce cautioned him. "And shouldn't you wait until Pepper gives it to you if it is?"

Tony waved a distracted hand at him. "I'm great at faking surprise, it'll be fine." He lifted the lid off the box and the sight inside made him start as his heart promptly kicked into overdrive. A pregnancy stick with a bright blue positive symbol on it stared back at him.

"You're right," noted Bruce, taking in his reaction without seeing what was in the box, "you are good at faking surprise."

Tony didn't even hear Bruce speaking.

Pepper was pregnant.

All the blood drained from Tony's face and his knees went weak, the room spinning around him...

**A/N****: Now, for those of you who aren't sold on a baby in this story, give me one more chapter to convince you that this could be the beginning of something fun, that is all I ask of you. ;) Hopefully I'll have the next chapter for you tomorrow. :D **


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N****: Okay, uber long chapter for you today, guys. I want to keep the pacing up on this fic and all of this is playing out in one day, so I could have split it but I wanted to keep the feeling that all these things are kind of happening at the same time, or at least, in the same day. **

**I must confess I'm extremely nervous about what you'll make of this chapter. It's the chapter I've been most nervous of posting for any of my IM fics. I won't say anymore, just let you read and I'll talk to you at the end.**

**Hopefully you'll enjoy...**

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

Bruce looked at Tony in concern as the other man went as white as a ghost. "Tony, you alright?" He grabbed Tony's arm and directed him to the sofa, into which Tony promptly collapsed. Bruce took the white box from his shaking hands and looked at the contents. He made a surprised sound and looked at Tony. "Pepper's pregnant?" he queried in amazement.

Tony made some kind of squeaking noise but that was all he could manage. His whole world was tilting on its axis and he didn't know what to do.

Bruce grinned and slapped Tony on the back. "Congratulations!"

Tony was just staring ahead, whole body in shut down at this life altering news.

Steve walked into the office. "Hey Bruce, I was wondering if I could talk to you for-" He stopped talking and stared at Tony. "What's wrong with Tony? He looks catatonic."

"He's just had some surprising news," Bruce informed him and held up the box to Steve.

Steve walked over and took the box from Bruce, picking up the stick. He looked at it quizzically. "What is it?"

"It's a pregnancy test," replied Bruce for the still mute Tony. "Pepper's pregnant."

Steve's face brightened. "She is? That's fantastic news." He frowned a little. "Of course, you're going to have to get married right away now but that's a good thing."

Tony made a strangled noise as his right eye twitched and he grabbed at his chest as it tightened. "Oh God," he said weakly, "I'm having a heart attack, this is it, I can feel it."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "You're not having a heart attack," he said dismissively.

"Yes, I am," gasped Tony, "my arm is tingling and I can taste copper."

"That taste in your mouth is panic," Bruce advised him dryly.

Steve looked confused. "Wait, you're not happy about this, Tony? Why aren't you happy?"

"Is it hot in here?" asked Tony frantically. "It feels hot in here." He pulled at his t-shirt, feeling like it was suddenly trying to suffocate him.

Bruce was unsympathetic. "Calm down, you idiot, or I'll get Steve to slap you."

Steve looked excited at the prospect and took a step towards Tony.

"Hey!" Tony snapped. "Back off, Captain McSlappy."

Steve sighed. "You get your hopes up and then they're dashed." He looked at the stick in his hand curiously. "How does this tell someone that they are pregnant?"

"The woman pees on it and it picks up certain pregnancy hormones in her urine," Bruce explained.

Steve made a strangled noise and immediately dropped the stick, quickly wiping his hands on his pant leg. "And no one felt the need to tell me that sooner?" he asked in annoyance. "In my day women found out they were pregnant by-" Steve hesitated. "Well, I'm not really sure, but it involved a rabbit dying... I think." Bruce gave him an amused look. "That's women's business," said Steve defensively. "Men aren't meant to know about that stuff."

"Things are a little different here in the 21st century, Steve," Bruce informed him. "Men are expected to have as much involvement in the whole thing as women. They even attend the births."

Steve looked concerned. "Is that even legal?"

"This can't be happening," said Tony unevenly. He buried his head in his hands. "How did this happen?"

"Even I know the answer to that one," said Steve, gingerly picking up the stick and replacing it in its box.

Tony dropped his hands and glared up at Steve. "I mean I know how it happened, I just don't know how it happened. We're always so careful with contraceptives. Well, Pepper is anyway."

Bruce shrugged. "Most contraceptives are only 97% effective," he said matter of factly.

"97%?" repeated Tony in outrage. "What kind of success rate is that?!"

"A pretty good one," argued Bruce.

"No one would get on a plane with a 97% chance of landing safely," said Tony hotly. "Why is that acceptable for contraceptives?"

"I'm still not seeing what the big deal is here," interrupted Steve. "You love Pepper, right? You were going to marry her anyway and start a family at some point. What's the big deal about doing it now rather than later?"

Tony could feel his right eye twitching uncontrollably at the 'M' word and felt his stomach turn over. "I'm not ready for marriage. Pepper and I have only been together for six months. I need more time to ease into this whole couple thing before I can even consider... umm... you know." Tony's eyelid was back to twitching, not even having to say the word to react.

"You should have thought about that before you got Pepper pregnant," said Steve disapprovingly. "You have to do the right thing by her, Tony, otherwise it's just not right."

Tony put a shaky hand to his face. "This is all happening too fast, I can't think. A minute ago I was just looking for a piece of paper, now I'm suddenly a father and I'm meant to know what to do next."

Bruce sat on the edge of the sofa and tried to calm Tony down. "Okay, let's think about this logically. Maybe the test isn't Peppers?"

Tony gave him a disbelieving look. "And who else would it be? Happy's?"

Bruce grimaced. "Alright, I'll concede we have limited choices, so it probably is Pepper's. Maybe it's a false positive?"

Tony brightened. "Can that happen?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes, that can happen."

Tony groaned as he suddenly remembered something. "No, it's not a false positive. The other day Pepper told me she was giving up caffeine and she was craving donuts," he said unhappily. "Oh God, this is really happening. I'm going to be a father," said Tony weakly and then the news sunk in a little deeper. "Oh God," he said in horror, "I'm going to be a father."

"Try not to say it like that when Pepper tells you," Bruce advised him. "It makes you sound like a jerk."

"But why would Pepper want a baby?" Tony asked in anguish. "She's already got me and you'd think I'd put her off the whole idea of it."

"You don't want children?" Steve asked in surprise.

"I never thought about it," said Tony honestly.

"You've never thought about having children with Pepper?" asked Steve in disbelief.

"No."

Steve shook his head in amazement. "Well, I sure have."

"What?!" snapped Tony, glaring at him angrily.

"Not with Pepper obviously," said Steve quickly. "I just meant kids in general. I want to be a father."

"I haven't even mastered being a grown up," said Tony in distress. "How the hell am I meant to be someone's father? I mean, I wrote on Pepper in bed last night, what the hell will I do to a helpless baby?"

Steve looked at Bruce uncertainly. "Is that a sex thing?"

"Fortunately, no," Bruce reassured him. "He wrote down scientific formulas on Pepper while she was sleeping because he was too lazy to get out of bed to find some paper."

"Tony," said Steve, giving him a critical look.

"I know!" exclaimed Tony. "I'm barely getting the being in a relationship right. If I can't handle being with one person very well, how am I supposed to handle two people?!"

"Well, you're just going to have to work out how," said Bruce firmly. "Pepper is going to need you, Tony. You don't think she's scared and shocked as well? This isn't all about you." He looked over at Steve. "Steve, put the box back in that top drawer over there. Pepper obviously is dealing with this herself and will want to tell Tony privately about this." He looked down at Tony. "And you, you man up, do you hear me?"

Tony was still staring dazedly ahead. "Okay," he said shakily. "Let's go." Tony rocked in place but didn't manage to stand up. "Am I standing up?" he asked hopefully, unable to make the assessment for himself.

Bruce looked him over as he remained seated on the sofa. "Not in the strictest understanding of the concept," he said dryly. He took Tony's arm. "Let's try that again."

Bruce helped Tony stand up which he needed because his legs were still shaking. Tony knew Bruce was right, he had to find a way to deal with this so he wasn't quite as big a mess when Pepper actually told him. The trouble was, Tony had no real idea how to do that. He was going to be a father and there was no way in hell that he was prepared for what that meant. Tony grimaced. Pepper was going to hate him and this had the potential to end badly, Tony just knew it.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper hurried into her office and glanced at her watch. "Happy, how long do you think it'll take us to get to my next meeting?"

"For an average driver, about half an hour," replied Happy as he followed her into the office, "but luckily for you I'm way above average, say fifteen minutes. I know some short cuts."

Pepper smiled at him. "What would I do without you, Happy?"

"Be fifteen minutes late for your next meeting for one thing," he teased her.

Lewis walked into the room. "John and Cody are already on the road," he informed Pepper. "They'll meet us there and scope the place before you get there."

Pepper sighed. "This still feels like a lot of overkill to me. All this preparation on your team's behalf, Lewis and we've never had a problem."

"Maybe we've never had a problem because of all of our forward planning," Lewis countered.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a true soldier," she said in amusement.

"I'll meet you down in the car," Happy said and was about to leave when he turned around. "Oh, and I almost forgot, Lewis, I was in the foyer this morning and a courier dropped this off for you." He walked over to the set of drawers against the wall and pulled out the top drawer and drew out a white box with a ribbon on it. Happy handed it to Lewis. "It doesn't have a card, but the guy said you'd know who it was from."

Lewis took the white box and looked at it quizzically as Happy left the room. Pepper moved around to the front of her desk and eyed the box curiously. "Is it your birthday, Lewis?"

He shook his head. "No." Lewis opened the box and gave a gasp of surprise.

Pepper couldn't help herself, hurrying over to his side so she could see what it was. "Oh, Lewis, is that what I think it is?"

Lewis looked to be fighting back great emotion. "I can't believe it, Greg said Jenny wasn't going to have the pregnancy test until tomorrow."

Pepper knew how long Lewis and his partner, Greg, had been trying for a baby and all the failed attempts over the years with adoptions and surrogacies. He'd confided in her one night when they were both caught back late about their troubles in being able to complete their family. Lewis told her he and Greg were trying one last time after Jenny, Greg's sister had offered to donate an egg and carry the baby for the couple. Lewis had provide the sample and Pepper knew Lewis had been anxiously awaiting the outcome. She hugged Lewis, happy for the man she'd grown so fond of. "Congratulations, Lewis, you're going to be an amazing father. I'm just thrilled for you."

"Thanks," said Lewis shakily, hugging her back. "I-I can't believe we're finally going to have a baby after all of this time."

"You need to ring Greg," said Pepper firmly as she drew back from the hug.

"I'm working," Lewis protested, "that'd be very unprofessional of me."

Pepper sent him a pointed look. "So would disobeying a direct order from your boss. Go and ring Greg, this is a huge moment in your lives, one you've been waiting eight years for. If you don't, I'm firing you on the spot."

Lewis grinned at her, his face full of excited happiness. "I'll only be a minute," he promised her, already hurrying towards the door and fumbling for his cell phone.

He practically ran Happy down as they passed in the hall and Happy was looking back at him curiously as he walked back into Pepper's room. "Where's the fire." He hesitated. "There isn't a fire is there?"

Pepper laughed. "No, Lewis just got some really good news."

Happy brightened. "He and Greg are going to be daddies?" he asked excitedly.

Pepper grinned. "Looks like."

Happy nodded approvingly. "Couldn't happen to a nicer pair of guys. That's some supportive family they've got going on there, Greg's sister offering to be a surrogate and all. Good luck to them, I say."

"That's very progressive of you, Happy," said Pepper indulgently.

Happy shrugged. "Love is love and I just apply the same rules to them as I do to you and Tony, don't feel you have to fill me in on any of the details of your sexual exploits and I'm happy for you all." He pursed his lips. "I wonder if a baby is going to affect our poker nights?"

"Poker nights?"

"The MMMBop boys and I get together most Friday nights and play a few hands."

"I can't believe you're calling them that too," said Pepper in exasperation.

"Tony is paying me to," Happy confessed.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"How much?"

"A hundred dollars and there is an extra hundred in it every time I get someone else to call them that as well."

Pepper groaningly laughed. "Is that cute or psychotic?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely profitable."

Pepper smiled as she watched Lewis down the hallways, talking happily away to his partner. "It's nice seeing a couple so happy and ready for the responsibility of a child."

Happy gave her an interested look. "No tingling of the ovaries for you and Tony out of all this, Pep?" he teased her.

Pepper laughed. "Heavens, no. I think Tony's head would explode if I talked about babies this early on in our relationship. He's already got that eye thing going when you say the 'M' word."

"That is pretty funny," agreed Happy in amusement.

"I'm really happy where we are right now and honestly, we both have our own babies to deal with at the moment. Tony with the Avengers and me with this China deal." Pepper grimaced. "I still feel badly that I'm keeping this China deal from Tony. I keep second guessing myself that I should involve him in the process. The thing is, I know he wasn't that on board with it when we discussed it months ago so I don't know how he'll react when he finds out I went ahead and brokered the deal without his approval or knowledge. You know how Tony is about surprises," said Pepper nervously. "He loves giving them and hates getting them."

"Tony gave you his company because he knew you were the best person for the job. You weighed up this deal and made your call and that's your right as CEO," Happy argued. "Tony can't give a person a job and then get upset when they do it." He paused. "Well, he can, but that doesn't mean he's right. Besides, after this morning it's a done deal and Tony is just going to have to get with the program with it. He put you in charge and you're doing a great job, Pepper and making a lot of fantastic deals for Stark Industries. Tony gave you free reign with the company and you've only improved the company's stock, so I say, if he has an issue with this deal, he's an idiot."

Pepper patted Happy's arm. "You give a pretty good pep talk when you want to, Happy Hogan."

"I just call it like I see it and if Tony doesn't see that he's got a brilliant, forward thinking woman in charge of his company, he deserves to sleep in the lab every night."

"You heard about that, hmm?"

"I heard he wrote on you." Happy grimaced. "That isn't a sex thing, is it?"

"No," Pepper laughed, "it isn't."

"Thank heavens for that, because I did not want to even think what that could mean if it was."

Lewis was off the phone and sticking his head through the office door. "We have to go now if we're going to make it," he informed them, still grinning like a loon.

Pepper collected her brief case. "Alright, daddy to be, lead the way."

Lewis' grin widened. "I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of hearing that word."

Pepper smiled, enjoying seeing her friend so happy.

**oooOOOOooo**

Maggie lent eagerly over the table, the last of their lunch food being cleared by the serving staff. "So, what do you think of my ideas for promoting the Avengers?"

"They're all really good," said Steve sincerely. "I'm just not sure the rest of the Avengers are going to go for the whole concept."

Maggie took his opinion in her stride. "At least give me a shot to convince them. How about I come back with you now and I can talk to them about my ideas?"

Steve hesitated, thinking about the state Tony was in when he last saw him. "Today might not be a good day," he hedged, "we've got some stuff going on."

Maggie looked intrigued. "What kind of stuff?" She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, that was very nosey of me. Of course you don't have to tell me."

"It's fine, there is just a bit going on with some of us today," said Steve vaguely, not wanting to give away any confidences.

"Alright," said Maggie, not easily put off, "how about tomorrow? Do you think everyone will be in a better frame of mind tomorrow?"

"I honestly don't know," admitted Steve.

Maggie obviously decided to let the subject be for now. "How about I take you on a tour of my city?" she offered instead.

"You know I was born here, right?" said Steve in mild amusement.

"You were born her nearly a hundred years ago," Maggie countered. "I want to show you my New York. Well, the bits that still aren't under repair from the mantis attacks," she conceded. Maggie smiled at him. "And then you can show me your New York." She winked at him. "How about it, soldier, I show you mine, you show me yours?"

Steve tried hard not to the blush at the innuendo and wasn't sure if he succeeded. "Okay, sure, that sounds like fun." Anything was better than waiting on Fury and his agents to come up with something concrete on Hammer and the Defenders. And Maggie was easy company and right then, Steve felt like something easy.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha's eyes narrowed menacingly. "No."

Clint folded his arms in front of his chest. "Yes."

"This isn't a negotiation."

"That's right, because I'm coming and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"I could break your leg," said Natasha coolly.

Clint didn't flinch. "You could try."

"You're not coming," she reiterated, her tone brooking no further discussion on the subject.

Clint ignored her and her tone completely. "Let's settle this like men." He made a sweeping gesture at all of the various game tables in the games room. "Choose your battle field, Romanoff."

Natasha's eyes didn't leave his. "Air hockey," she said without hesitation.

Clint smiled. "Good choice."

"I know."

"I'm going to ruin you," he informed her.

"You can try," she returned smugly.

**oooOOOOooo**

Thor looked out the window of the private jet at the scenery below, lost in his thoughts.

"Sir, we're almost ready to land, you need to fasten your seat belts."

Thor turned his head towards the flight attendant. "Thank you." He nodded approvingly. "Your iron beast of flight was most comfortable to travel in." Thor held up the arm rest he'd broken off early on in the flight. "If a little flimsily made."

The attendant smiled professionally and took the arm rest without comment. "I'm glad you enjoyed the flight, sir. Is there anything else you need before we land?"

Thor would have liked to have said the right words to say to Jane Foster at their first meeting after so long apart, but he knew that wasn't what she meant. "Nay, you have met all of my needs, mortal, I am most grateful."

The attendant took her words in her stride and nodded. "Thank you, sir." She walked back to her seat as Thor settled into his, unaccustomed to this nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. How could one tiny mortal have such an effect on him? Thor glimpsed his reflection in the window and saw that he was smiling, the mere thought of Jane causing that reaction in him. He took a deep breath, consoling himself with the fact the if he could face down Ice Giants and not flinch, than one Midgardian woman should be no source of fear to him. As the plane's wheels touched the runway, Thor had not completely managed to convince himself of that fact.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper sent Tony a warm smile over the vase of red roses in the middle of the table. "Did I tell you that this was very sweet of you, Tony?"

Tony returned her smile nervously. "You did." He'd organised Pepper's favourite food to be delivered to their apartment from her favourite French restaurant and had spent the afternoon setting up the table nicely. She'd been suitably impressed and pleased when she'd finally come home that night from another late night at the office. "I figure I still kind of owed you an apology from last night."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "You know I can't wash that ink off me, right? It was a permanent marker."

"It's not poisonous," said Tony hastily, worried that Pepper might think it was harming their baby. The room started to tilt again at just thinking those words. Their baby. The initial shock had worn off, but Tony was still struggling to come to terms with being responsible for a helpless little human being when he regularly got it wrong with a totally capable human being. There was no way Pepper wasn't going to end up hating him by the end of all this when she saw just how truly useless he was going to be at being a father.

Pepper gave him a strange look. "I know. It's alright, Tony, I didn't think writing on me was a malicious act, just a thoughtless one."

Tony quickly covered her hand with his. "And I know that about myself and I'm working on it," he tried to reassure her.

"I know," she said casually and smiled at him.

Tony couldn't help but stare at how beautiful Pepper looked in the glow of the candles he'd lit. He really was the luckiest man in the world that she'd taken a chance on him and Tony desperately wanted to prove to her that she hadn't made a mistake. The trouble was, he wasn't overly confident that he wasn't going to say the wrong thing when Pepper told him her news. Tony kept rehearsing his reactions over in his head, surprise but moving instantly into thrilled excitement. He just hoped he could pull it off without losing control of his mental facilities. Pepper deserved for him to be lucid and supportive, not the semi-hysterical mess that Bruce and Steve had been forced to deal with that morning.

"You're staring at me," said Pepper uncertainly and touched a hand to her face. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no," said Tony immediately, "you look beautiful, glowing in fact." There, that was a good opener for her to tell him about the baby.

Pepper just smiled. "It's the candle light," she said easily, "it hides a multitude of sins."

"You look more beautiful now then I've ever seen you before," said Tony earnestly.

"I look like a woman who's been at work since seven thirty this morning," she said dryly and then promptly stifled a yawn. "Sorry."

"You're working too hard," said Tony, instantly solicitous. "You're going to have to think about slowing down a bit, especially now."

Pepper frowned. "What do you mean, especially now?"

Tony frantically tried to cover his gaff. "I mean, especially now I can see I'm obviously working you too hard," he hedged.

"I'm running a multi-national company, Tony," she said wryly. "I knew it was a lot of work before I took it on and frankly it's a whole lot less work now that you're not involved. I'm fine, I'm loving it in fact." Pepper seemed to hesitate. "But there was something about work I wanted to talk to discuss with you."

Tony tried not to show his impatience. He didn't care about the company right now, he just wanted Pepper to tell him about the baby so they could work through everything and she could know that he was totally on board with the whole thing. Even though he wasn't but Tony was working on it... in between panic attacks. He shook his head. "Let's not talk about work right now. Tonight is about us, Pepper, just you and me. Let's talk about that." He sent her a hopeful look over the top of roses. "Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about us, Pepper, or tell me maybe?"

"Well, there was one thing I wanted to talk to you about," she conceded. "And it's pretty important."

Tony mentally prepared his reactions – surprise, not shock and then excitement, not unconsciousness he rehearsed to himself. He took her hand. "What is it, sweetheart, you can tell me anything?"

"I know you said you wanted to do a big party in Italy for my birthday next month, but I'd much rather just spend it here, with you and the Avengers and some friends. Maybe we could just have a low key celebration instead?" Pepper gave him a concerned look. "Are you disappointed?"

"No," said Tony unsteadily, caught off guard, "it's your birthday, I just want to make you happy."

Pepper looked relieved. "Oh good, I hate being the centre of so much attention. I'll have a lot more fun if it's just a little party with my real friends."

"And is that it?" he prompted her. "There is nothing else you want to tell me?"

"Not if work related stuff is off the table." She sent him a curious look. "Why? Is there something you want to talk about?"

Tony was caught. He didn't want to bring up knowing about the baby because he was worried that it'd start the whole conversation off on the wrong foot if Pepper thought he was snooping. "Ah, no, I'm all good except that I really, really want you to know that you can rely on me, no matter what, Pepper." He looked at her expectantly, mentally willing her to tell him about the baby. "I'm your go to guy for anything you need."

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "Did you sign that paperwork I left for you on your desk yesterday and asked you three times to get it done before tomorrow? Did you make a decision on the hospital board stuff we were discussing like you promised me you would? Did you remember to record my show for me like you said you would?"

Tony was sunk, having not done any of the things Pepper had asked him to do recently. "What was the first one again?" he tried to put her off. This wasn't good news for his 'you can rely on me' campaign.

Pepper just smiled and shook her head. "Some things never change," she said wryly.

Tony gave her a weak smile as it became clear Pepper had no intention of telling him about the baby tonight. This wasn't looking good at all. He'd only known about the baby for less than a day and already he was a nervous wreck. He was never going to survive this pregnancy...

**A/N****: Okay, so, what do you make of the whole baby/no baby thing? I figure I've either made both groups who wanted a baby and didn't want a baby to be happy, or both groups to be annoyed. It seems like an all or nothing scenario from where I'm sitting. LOL Hence my nervousness. . **

**In my mind it's way too early for Pepperony to be having babies, but this is a way to have the s/l without actually having the s/l, if you get my drift. We get to see Tony being cute and grappling with the prospect of fatherhood, without their actually being any baby or pregnancy to have to deal with. I'm hoping the pro-baby people aren't too upset with me and the anti-baby people are happy enough with the compromise. I'm trying to take the fun elements of a baby s/l and leave out the complications of writing one actually into my story. It works for me in my head, but it remains to be seen if it'll work for you guys. Let me know if you feel gypped or if you can live with the compromise, won't you? ;) **


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N****: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took a couple of extra days, but after all that I wrote in the last 3 chapters, I needed a little mental break from this story. Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter and thank you to everyone who is continuing to read the story, I truly appreciate each one of you. :D**

**Now, there are two things I just want to clarify before going into this chapter. **

**First of all, Pepper's big secret is indeed the Chinese deal. I'm sorry I haven't made that clearer, I'll try and clear that up in this chapter. If you go back and read Pepper's thoughts about her secret, the China deal does fit in, it's just that I was being sneaky and trying to misdirect you all. LOL Naughty Aunty Lou. ;) **

**Second of all, just a quick response to one of my guest reviewers who seemed to think I was trying to please everyone and changed my mind with how the baby s/l is playing out and that it was a flop. This has **_**always**_** been the baby s/l I imagined for this fic. Nothing has changed. I'm not writing for other people, I'm only writing for myself and what entertains me. I shared with folks as to why I thought this kind of baby s/l in a Pepperony tale with them being this early in with their relationship works for me. My only hesitation was that it wouldn't work for everyone but I can only write the stories which are in my head. I can't write anyone else's story or how they think this fic should go.**

**I'm always happy to listen to suggestions like people wanting more of this, or less of that, but all the beats I'm playing out are entirely mine and how I pictured this story from the beginning. Nothing has altered from reading all of your comments because it simply can't, that's the story in my head. Like I said, I can only tweak and give out little things along the way, like an extra Pepperony scene or another action scene but that's only if it fits with the overall flow of my original story and the idea interests me. Other people aren't affecting the direction of this s/l, that sinks or swims with me and I'm cool with not everyone liking my choices. Not everyone is going to be looking for the same thing from a story, that's why there is such a vast range to stories on this site. It's all good. I just knew this baby s/l had the potential to disappoint quite a few people and I don't like doing that... but it was always the way that particular story was going to play out, even if that left me with no readers. LOL **

**The muse wants what the muse wants. ;) **

**Okay, waffled as per usual. I'll just quickly let you know I'm hoping to post another chapter tomorrow, I'm eager to get us to the big showdown and give you some pay offs for all of these s/l's I've introduced into this story. **

**This chapter isn't thrilling, but it's necessary, hope to see you soon...**

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

Clint moved restlessly in his chair beside her, making the plastic creak. "Sit still," Natasha admonished him.

"I am sitting still," he muttered.

"You're the one who wanted to come to this," she reminded him. "Don't make me regret letting you."

Clint gave a little snort. "You didn't let me. I owned you at air hockey and you had to concede."

"You cheated."

"How, by being really awesome at air hockey?" asked Clint triumphantly.

Natasha hid a smile. He looked so pleased with himself and she was almost tempted to tell him she wasn't half as put out as she was acting but then he'd know that she really did want him along at this doctor's appointment. That little fact Natasha could barely admit to herself, let alone to Clint. Now that she'd decided to go ahead with the operation it was all becoming very real and it felt good to have someone she trusted in her corner. Natasha snuck a look at Clint as he picked up a magazine and flipped through it and couldn't help but think about the kiss he'd 'threatened' her with. He hadn't made a move yet and Natasha wondered if he'd forgotten about it.

"You thinking about when I'm going to kiss you?" Clint hadn't given any indication he'd noticed her watching him as he closed up the magazine and threw it on the table in front of them in the waiting room. He turned his head and arched a challenging eyebrow at her.

Natasha tried to hide her surprise and had a sudden concern that she'd spoken her thoughts aloud without realising them. She really hoped that wasn't going to be a side effect of this tumour otherwise her usefulness as a spy would be less than zero. "I haven't given it a second thought," she lied.

Clint's eyes dropped to her lips. "I have." He gave her a lop-sided smile. "Probably more than is healthy, to be honest."

"Is this you making your move?" she challenged him. "In a doctor's waiting room? Nice timing, Barton."

He sent her a playful look. "Nat, when I make my move, you're going to know it."

Natasha couldn't help but enjoy Clint's confidence. She was getting soft in her old age, it seemed. "You're just bored and stir crazy because Fury has put us on lock down," she countered.

"I'm pretty sure I'd still be thinking about kissing you even in the middle of some big battle," he argued.

"A divided mind is a weak mind," she said disapprovingly, not wanting to think Clint might be distracted by her during a battle and get hurt.

Clint waved a casual hand at her. "Nah," he said dismissively, "I'm one of those rare things, a guy who can multi-task."

Natasha gave a little laugh. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Clint just smiled. "Watch this space, Agent Romanoff."

Natasha was enjoying their back and forth, it was nice not to be alone with her thoughts of mortality. Something she'd been pondering since yesterday came back to her. "Have you noticed something amiss with Steve lately?"

Clint moved in his seat and it creaked again. "Can you define the parameters of your question a little more?" he asked wryly. "That is a pretty wide net you just cast."

Natasha thought back to how withdrawn Steve had seemed during the dinner they'd all shared last night, sans Pepper and Tony. "He seems to have a lot on his mind."

"We all do."

Natasha shook her head. "No, he wasn't like that in the morning. I think something happened yesterday."

Clint looked intrigued. "Like what?"

Her lips thinned in frustration. "I don't know but something is not quite right with him."

"Why don't you ask him what's wrong?"

"I did, he said nothing."

"And you think he was lying?"

"No, I know he was lying," said Natasha simply and when Clint sent her inquisitive look she just shrugged. "I'm a liar by trade, I know a lie when I hear one."

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"I don't think he's said anything to anyone, and that worries me," said Natasha. "As a team we're very vulnerable right now, our dynamic is fragile and can be easily destroyed."

Clint made a frustrated noise. "Something I bet Hammer is counting on." He shook his head. "I can't believe that idiot got the jump on us."

"He was underestimated by everyone," agreed Natasha. "We let this happen."

"You're not responsible for Hammer getting the jump on us, Nat."

Natasha's brow furrowed. "I'm the spy, I knew the man, I should have anticipated this."

Clint snorted. "Who was going to anticipate the Camel Toe crew? That one was totally out of left field."

Natasha gave a short shake of her head. "Not really. Justin Hammer has always competed and lost against Tony. It makes sense that he'd try to emulate Tony's moves and attempt to better him."

"Justin Hammer is no Tony Stark," noted Clint.

"No, but Tony has far more to lose then Hammer and they both know it. Defence is not Tony's strongest play, he prefers offensive manoeuvres."

"Look, Fury is going to give us the call any day with the intel we need to bring these guys down," Clint reassured her. "You shouldn't be worrying about all of this, Natasha, you've got bigger fish to fry." He looked over at the door to the doctor's office and made a frustrated noise. "Where is this guy anyway? Your appointment was at ten."

Natasha knew Clint rarely showed impatience with waiting and it was a mark of his concern for her. She'd watched him wait for hours, days even, for that perfect shot to take down a mark. Clint understood patience and focus but it was another thing entirely when there were still so many unknowns about this waiting game. "He's only half an hour late," Natasha said calmly. "Doctor Weinberg is the top man in his field and is very busy."

"I don't like a guy who can't be on time," Clint complained. "It shows a lack of organisational skills and I don't know if I want a guy like holding your life in his hands."

"Medicine isn't like other professions. It isn't always easy to regulate. Things happen that can't be foreseen."

Clint slumped down in his seat. "Well, I don't want a guy who can't foresee things working on you either."

"Stop worrying and just relax."

Clint turned his head to look at her and half-smiled. "I think that is meant to be my line."

"I assumed it was implied when you called my doctor incompetent," she teased him.

Clint reached over took Natasha's hand and squeezed it. "I just want the best for you, Nat, are you sure this Doctor Weinberg is the best?"

"I've done my research and besides, he's the only doctor with the skill and willingness to touch this tumour," said Natasha firmly. "I trust him."

Clint sighed. "Then I guess I have to trust him too."

The door from the hallway opened and a fit looking man in his mid-fifties hurried through. He was wearing a white coat and had a full set up black hair which was just starting to grey at the temples. Natasha and Clint stood up as he smiled at them both. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Ms. Rushmore, I had to attend to an unexpected admission." He stepped forward and shook her hand. "It's good to see you again."

Natasha returned the handshake. "It's good to see you too, Doctor Weinberg, and thank you for making time in your schedule to see me. I know you're a busy man."

"Of course," he said without hesitation as he turned his attention to Clint. "And this is your partner?"

Natasha knew the doctor meant that romantically rather than professionally and she moved to correct him but Clint was already shaking his hand. "Clint Barton," he introduced himself, not seeming to care about the misunderstanding.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Barton," said the doctor cordially. He smiled at Natasha. "I'm so glad you took my advice and brought a support person along, Natalie."

"I had to play seventeen straight games of air hockey to beat her, but we finally came to an understanding that Nat needed me along for the ride today," admitted Clint freely.

"I let him win in the end," said Natasha, a small smile playing on her lips.

Clint made a disbelieving snort. "You nearly punched me when I won that last game, you didn't let me win squat."

Doctor Weinberg laughed. "I do like my patients to have a fighting spirit."

"Then you're going to love, Nat," said Clint dryly.

The doctor indicated his office door. "Now, shall we all sit down and have a talk about this operation? This is a big step you're taking, Natalie, and I want you to fully understand the risks and possible complications but I also think you're making the right decision."

Clint slipped his hand around hers again and held on firmly.

His silent support immediately settled Natasha's nerves. "I know," she said quietly but firmly.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry hovered over his computer keyboard like an expectant father as he nervously put in the last of the data and waited for the results of his testing to be relayed back to him. He glanced around the empty room which had basically become his home since he'd been working on Hammer's secret project. At least the coffin with the frozen Noble Maniatis was gone but Jerry was under no illusions that if he didn't perform well and keep his mercurial boss happy, then the chances he'd end up as a human popsicle were pretty high. He sat down on his chair and stared at the computer screen, anxiously awaiting the test results.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Damn it, where are you?" muttered Happy as he crawled around on his hands and knees in Tony's lab. He'd lost the car keys to the Rolls and Happy just knew it was when Tony had been dangling him upside down like a Christmas ham. There was a spare set of keys, but Happy didn't like things to be unaccounted for. This wasn't the kind of job where you just assumed that the little things didn't matter. Happy was always conscious that he had a responsibility towards Pepper and Tony to be ready in an instant if they ever needed him. In this job, lives could depend on it. "It'll just take a minute, Happy," he grumbled. "I just need to calibrate the pod, you're not going to get hurt." In a way Tony had been right about the pod not hurting him directly but that still didn't mean Happy wasn't sporting a band aid over his left eyebrow.

By the time Tony finally let him out of the pod, all the blood had pooled in Happy's head and when he was right way up, the blood all drained away quickly, leaving him light-headed and unbalanced. Happy had stepped out of the pod and promptly toppled over, hitting his head on the side of a nearby robot droid. It was only a little cut, but Happy had made sure to make Tony feel as badly as he could about it. He now had an extra week worth of vacation time, which Happy felt only fair. Working for Tony was like working in dog years, one year equalled seven, so a little extra R&R was only to be expected.

A gleam of metal caught Happy's eye behind the safety pod and back against the corner. He stood up and tried to squeeze his broad frame into the gap between the pod and the wall, fingers straining to reach the keys. Happy grunted as he pushed himself as hard as he could into the small space. Giving up, Happy attempted to move the safety pod, which still looked like a damn hamster ball, no matter what Tony said. Placing his hands flat against the domed reinforced glass, Happy pushed with all of his might, hoping to move the device enough so that he could have more space to get to the keys.

A movement out of the corner of Happy's eye had him suddenly stopping. He straightened up, blinking a couple of times and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. Tony's infected Iron Man suit lay stretched out on a nearby table, a specially reinforced glass shield entombing it. Happy squinted as he looked at the suit, not sure if what he was seeing was a result of some sweat in his eyes or something else. For a brief moment it looked like the suit was shimmering, the metal rippling all over before settling back into its original form. Happy walked over to the contained suit and peered down at it, looking it over intently. Everything looked completely normal and Happy shook his head and chastised himself for being so jumpy. It must have just been the way the light was catching the glass containment unit. He shook his head and chastised himself for being so jumpy. Everyone in this place was on edge at the moment and it must be catching. The Avengers were prowling around like caged lions waiting to be let out to hunt and Pepper wasn't going to relax until she told Tony about her big secret Chinese deal and they were all rubbing off on him. Happy turned around and headed back to the safety pod, intent on retrieving those keys and dismissing the event entirely.

Behind Happy's back, the suit rippled again, metal bonds dissolving and reforming as microscopic nano-bots undulated silently through them and sent out silent messages to its expectant controller.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry blew out a relieved breath when he saw the results of his remote testing. He quickly dialled his boss and it was answered within two rings.

"Hello, Jeremy," said Hammer jovially. "I've been waiting for your call."

"Actually, it's Jeremiah, sir," he corrected him without thinking. Jerry's stomach tightened as he braced himself for a reaction. It was well known that Justin Hammer didn't like to be corrected by anyone, ever.

"Really, Jeremiah?" he repeated, thankfully not seeming upset. "Don't tell me, you used to be a bullfrog."

There was this long pause and Jerry realised that his boss had just made a joke and was expecting a reaction but Jerry didn't have the first idea what he was talking about. He covered himself by giving a weak laugh. "Good one, sir."

"I know," said Hammer, clearly amused by his own wit. "So, I'm assuming you're the herald of good news, Jerry? I'd hate to have to kill you, I've grown rather fond of you."

Jerry swallowed hard. It was difficult to know if that was another joke on his boss' behalf, but he wasn't taking any chances. "Yes, sir, very good news," he said hastily. "We've gained remote control of the nano-bots in the Iron Man suit."

"You can make it do whatever you want?" Hammer asked eagerly.

"I believe so, sir."

"Another piece of the puzzle complete," gloated Hammer in satisfaction. "This is all going perfectly and right under Tony Stark's nose. Oh, the look on his face when he finds out." There was a brief laugh. "It's going to make all of my suffering worthwhile."

Jerry had a lot of doubts about this job, not least of which going up against the head of Stark Industries but by the time he'd worked out Hammer was insane, he was in too deep. The way Jerry looked at it, he just had to keep Hammer happy for as long as he could and as soon as this all went down, he was going to run for his life and never look back. He'd already picked out a pseudonym to disappear under, Chase Cavenaugh. It was the name of a sexy, confident guy who knew how to please the ladies, unlike Jeremiah Weems, the shy computer nerd who had never technically kissed a woman yet, despite being twenty-three years old.

All he had to do was not screw this up and there was a chance he was going to get out of this alive. Jerry wasn't on board with Hammer's plans and he felt badly about what he was doing but he figured he wasn't going to feel so great about dying either. He'd watched a documentary on the nature channel a while back that said a human being's survival instinct was its strongest drive and Jerry had to admit, that it was motivating him pretty strongly to ignore his morals about this and keep a heartbeat. "And the nano-pedes have just reached 91% integration," he finished off hastily, eager to please.

Hammer made an excited noise. "How much longer?"

"The integration should be complete by tomorrow and then I have to run some checks to make sure the system-"

"Give me a time frame," interrupted Hammer impatiently.

"Tomorrow night we should be good to go, sir," said Jerry, crossing his fingers that he was going to be able to come through on this one.

"Then the next day will be when the world as we know it ends," he said, obviously relishing the thought. "A new world order will be in play and there will be no Avengers to do anything about it."

Jerry felt like Hammer was expecting him to say something. "Congratulations, sir, your plan is brilliant." More like diabolical with an unhealthy slice of deranged, but there was no way in hell Jerry was going to say that.

"It is, isn't it?" preened Hammer. "And congratulations to you too, Jerry, you've gotten to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself. You, Jeremiah Bullfrog, are going to be remembered in history forever."

Jerry really hoped the bullfrog comment wasn't a sideways comment about him croaking in the near future but it didn't matter because Jerry Weems wasn't going to be hanging around for long, not if Chase Cavenaugh had anything to say about it. "Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your greatness, Mr. Hammer." Jerry had quickly learnt that there was no such thing as laying it on too thick when it came to his boss.

"It was nothing, Jerry," said a pleased sounding Hammer. "I'm all about helping the little people. Now, you call me as soon as everything is complete, day or night, I want to know the moment everything is in place."

"Of course, sir." Hammer hung up and Jerry slumped back in his chair, the tension draining from his body, heart rate returning to normal. This job was going to be the death of him. He should have taken that job with Microsoft. Screw the money, what's the point of being rich if you're dead? Jerry grimaced. Why was hindsight always twenty twenty?


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N****: Managed to get this chapter done. They're getting longer but I'm trying to get us to the big showdown in a timely fashion. Well, my version of a timely fashion anyway. LOL **

**Thanks for reading as always... **

**Chapter Forty-Nine**

Bruce took a sip of his coffee and stared sightlessly out at the cityscape of New York below him. His mind was occupied by the nano-technology he and Tony had been unravelling. During one of his experiments on the mantis' metal that morning, Bruce had made a surprising discovery. The nano-technology impregnated in the metal could be applied to organic matter. He'd been running some experiments with electricity to see if he could separate the nano-bots from the metal at will. During the experiment he'd placed a half-eaten apple by the area he'd been working and gone to retrieve some of his notes. When Bruce had come back, it was to discover the apple had been completely reformed, there wasn't a trace of the bite mark to be seen.

Bruce had immediately seen the possibilities of this technology for his predicament. These nano-bots could restore organic matter and that could include his gamma radiation ravaged cells. He might well be looking at the long sort after cure for his condition and Bruce couldn't stop thinking about it. There would be a lot of work to be done of course, to better understand the technology and then figure out how to implement it properly but for the first time in a long time, Bruce had a glimmer of hope that he might at long last have a way free of the other guy. He closed his eyes and imagined what it'd be like not to have perpetual fear hanging over him, of a life that wasn't tied up in hiding a part of himself from the world. It was almost too painful to think about because if it didn't happen, then it was going to be soul-destroying.

"Well, Pepper still hasn't told me."

Tony's complaining voice came from behind him and Bruce turned around in time to see Tony throw himself down on the sofa and pout. Bruce turned to face him. "You mean about the baby?"

"Yes," said Tony unhappily.

"Assuming she only found out yesterday as well, maybe Pepper needs some time to process all of this," Bruce reasoned. He delivered a pointed look at Tony. "I'd think you'd be able to understand that."

"Yes, but she doesn't look like she's processing anything," Tony argued. "Pepper is behaving as though nothing is wrong."

"You're having a baby, Tony, there is nothing wrong."

"You know what I mean," he grumbled.

Bruce's lips tightened in mild frustration. "You know, a lot of guys would be really happy to find out that the woman they are madly in love with was pregnant with their child."

"It's not that simple," said Tony tersely.

"It is if you want it to be."

"Pepper and I, our situation is complicated," said Tony morosely. "What with the whole Iron Man thing and the Avengers and-"

"This isn't about Iron Man, the Avengers or even you and Pepper, this is just about you," interrupted Bruce. "You're frightened."

"Why wouldn't I be?" argued Tony. "What do I know about being a father?"

"What does anyone know about being a father the first time?" shot back Bruce. "It's just something you have to do your best at."

"And what if my best isn't good enough?" asked a frustrated Tony. "I mean, look at my dad, I guess he loved me but he wasn't a great father. What if I turn out just like him and my kid ends up not even being sure I love them?"

"You know what your father did with you, right?"

"Yes."

"Then just do the opposite," Bruce reasoned.

"It's not that simple," complained Tony.

"You're a genius, Tony. Look at the Iron Man suit, all the things you've designed and created, the arc reactor, hell, you even created a new element, you're brilliant. You can look at a problem and find solutions, solutions people have never even thought about. You are going to be able to work out how to be a good father."

"And if I don't?" obsessed Tony. "I'm great with science and maths and all of that kind of thing because they have absolutes and rules but this whole parenting thing, it just seems like a free for all to me. I don't know what the hell I'm doing."

"I'm kind of betting you didn't know what the hell you were doing when you put on that Iron Man suit for the first time, but that ended up okay."

Tony grimaced. "Yeah, but in the meantime I destroyed four very expensively restored cars and put an unplanned sun roof in three levels of my house. That didn't matter because they were all inanimate objects, just things that could be replaced. A baby is a whole other story."

"Do you think there is a high risk factor of you putting a sun roof in your first-born child?" asked Bruce wryly.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Tony. "That's the problem."

Bruce shook his head. "Look, don't ask me to feel sorry for you, Tony. You pretty much have it all."

Tony sighed. "I just want Pepper to tell me about the baby so we can start dealing with this problem together." Bruce gave him a disapproving look and Tony quickly changed his wording. "I mean blessing, so we can start dealing with this blessing together."

"You're taking being self-absorbed to new heights, Tony," Bruce warned him. "You might want to consider how Pepper is feeling in all of this. You don't think she's worried about her life changing as well and that she is now going to be dealing with two children."

Tony scowled. "I'm less work then an actual baby."

"You can't really believe that."

Tony shrugged. "Alright, maybe I'm not but that's just another good reason why having a baby is crazy."

"And yet here you are, crazy or not, it's happening."

Tony sunk down lower in his seat, chin on his chest. "Pepper is going to hate me out of all this, I just know it."

"If she hasn't hated you over being drawn on, blown up or the other 3458 annoying, thoughtless things you do on a daily basis, then I don't think this is going to send her screaming over the edge."

"You don't know that," said Tony fiercely. "This baby could be the end of us."

"The urge to punch you in the face is getting very strong right about now, Stark," said Bruce darkly, annoyed at Tony's selfish behaviour. "You may want to consider your next words carefully."

Tony rubbed his face and looked contrite. "Okay, I know, I know, I sound like a selfish prick and this isn't all about me but don't you see, that's the problem."

"Oh, I see," said an unimpressed Bruce.

"No," said Tony earnestly, "I mean I lay awake at nights wondering if I'm the worst thing that has even happened to Pepper because her being with me could end up getting her killed. But I can't give her up because she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. Now suddenly there is a baby in the mix and I've got two people to love and protect and I'm just so scared that if I get either wrong, I'm going to lose everything."

Bruce knew he was seeing a rare insight into the man under the mask and felt Tony's pain. "Loving people is about taking a risk, just like they take a risk on you. The ride can be scary and unpredictable but when the alternative is sitting on the side lines and watching life go by, I know which one I'd choose."

Tony gave him a considered look. "Is that how you really feel?"

"It is."

"Okay, then, if that's true, why are you in such a hurry to get rid of the other guy?"

Bruce tensed. "That's different."

"Is it? How?"

"I didn't choose the Hulk."

"I didn't choose being a father all of a sudden, but you're the one telling me to embrace it and go on the wild ride."

Bruce glared at Tony, not liking having the table turned on him but fortunately his cell phone rang before he had to formulate a reply. He glanced at the caller ID before answering. "Hi, Thor, how was your flight?"

"How much did he break on my plane?" Tony called out.

"Hardly anything," Bruce relayed.

Tony rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll take it."

"How's it going with Jane?" Bruce paused as Thor started talking rapidly. "What do you mean you haven't seen her yet? You would have landed hours ago." Thor spoke again. "I don't know, just walk up to her and say hello, that's a good place to start." Bruce glanced at his watch. "It must be night time over there now, what are you waiting for?" Bruce sighed and rubbed his forehead as Thor told him of his plans. "Yes, okay, so she's gone home for the day, I get that but you need to get this first meeting over and done with." Bruce blanched as Thor continued talking. "Okay, no, just no. I know you think climbing through her window in the middle of the night is a romantic gesture but a 6'4 guy crawling through a woman's window in the dead of night isn't so much romantic as terrifying... and illegal."

Tony was listening in on the one-sided conversation with interest. "Looks like we released the demi-god back into the wild a little too soon."

"Just go and talk to the woman," Bruce pleaded with him. "Knock on her door and say hello, the rest will come to you and whatever happens, happens." Bruce nodded as Thor thanked him for his wise counsel. "You're welcome, just don't get arrested, the Avengers don't need the bad press right now." He hung up and made an exasperated noise. "Exactly what about me says 'Agony Aunt' all of a sudden?"

Tony looked him over carefully. "I'm going to say your sideburns." He nodded. "Yup, it's definitely your sideburns, they've got Agony Aunt written all over them."

"Everyone remembers we have some more pressing problem right now, don't they?" asked Bruce a little impatiently. "No one seems to be concentrating on this Hammer problem. Steve keeps wandering off without telling anyone where he's going and so do Natasha and Clint. Thor is stalking a woman and you're having a nervous breakdown over a baby that you technically don't even know about yet. Meanwhile we're facing something really serious with Hammer."

"You think I don't know that?" asked Tony indignantly. "I was the one who wanted to just go and kick the guy's ass, but no, we all had to be good little boys and girls and wait for Uncle Fury to give us the green light."

"That doesn't mean we have to waste our time," countered Bruce. "I've been working on the nano-technology."

"So have I."

"I know, but have you discovered this?" asked Bruce triumphantly, picking up the apple.

Tony scratched at his cheek with one finger. "I hate to tell you this, B, but that's an apple and you're not the first person to discover it."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "I know what it is but look at it." He threw the apple at Tony who caught it neatly.

Tony looked at the apple. "It's still an apple," he surmised.

"I took a bite out of it earlier and then left it near the infected metal. The nan-bots transferred themselves to the apple and now look at it," said Bruce excitedly.

Tony examined the apple more carefully and then looked at him over the top of it. "Don't even think about it," said Tony without hesitation.

Bruce sent him a challenging look. "You don't know what I'm thinking."

"You're thinking that these nano-bots can repair your gamma radiated DNA strings because they repaired the apple."

Bruce's chin came up. "So, what if I am?"

Tony made a frustrated noise and held up the apple, pointing to a blemish. "Have you looked at this thing closely, B?"

Bruce frowned and put his glasses on and stepped closer to see what Tony was pointing to. There were two blemishes on the apple, side by side, one almost perfectly round and the other was larger and looked like the apple had been knocked against something straight on being packed as it almost had a perfectly straight line formation. "So?"

"This is where you took the bite out of the apple, isn't it?"

"I don't know," said Bruce in annoyance, "you can't tell now, that's the point. The nano-bots have repaired the apple."

"No," Tony corrected him seriously, "they haven't repaired, they've replicated it, from the information they already had gathered from the apple." He turned the apple around 180 degrees and showed Bruce the exact same, unique looking blemishes on the other side of the apple. "They've reproduced the imperfection because they didn't know any different." Tony's face was troubled. "You inject those things into yourself and we don't know what the hell they are going to decipher as to what should be there and what shouldn't. You realise that you're facing a very real possibility of Bruce Banner being destroyed completely and you being the Hulk all the time, right? Tell me that's occurred to you, B?"

It wasn't often Tony Stark was this serious but Bruce wasn't to be so easily put off. "Obviously there would have to be some fine tuning done with the nano-bots. If we found a delivery system that could specifically target a section of my DNA that was healthy and we wanted replicated-"

Tony stood up and square off against him. "Then you could find yourself with nano-bots replicating your DNA so you end up with twenty arms or you could just end up being one giant ass if we don't get the section of DNA just right." Tony clutched his arm. "Think about that, B, you could end up being Steve," he finished off dramatically.

"Seriously," said Steve as he stepped into the room, "you're insulting me when I'm not even in the room now?"

"Well, obviously it's more fun when you're here, but I don't like limiting myself," said Tony distractedly. "Do you mind, I'm in the middle of stopping Bruce from doing something crazy."

Steve's eyebrow arched. "How did you get _that_ job?"

"I realise it's not my usual role in the team, but I was the only one here. Bruce wants to start experimenting on himself."

Steve looked sceptical. "Isn't that how the other guy ended up being created?"

"No," said Bruce defensively, "it was a lab accident and this is different. This nano-technology is amazing and the applications are almost limitless. There could be a cure in this technology for the Hulk."

"The Hulk isn't a disease," pointed out Tony.

"From where I'm standing he is," said Bruce sharply.

"I don't know, Bruce," said Steve hesitantly. "You know I'd never willingly side with Tony on anything-"

"What we have is special to me too, Grandpa," interjected Tony.

Steve continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "-But if these nano-bit things are making him nervous, I've got to say, that doesn't make me feel good. This is a guy who has no qualms about making roofied strawberries and feeding them to us. If Tony isn't on board with running with this, it's got to be pretty dangerous."

Bruce moved his shoulders restlessly. "I wasn't asking for a vote on this. This is my life."

"And we're in that life," threw back Tony. "We get a vote."

"That isn't how it works."

"That's how Pepper tells me it works, so if you've got a real argument against it, I'd love to hear it so I can use it on her next time," demanded Tony.

"I'm not talking about this anymore," said Bruce tersely.

"Not your most compelling argument," noted Tony. "Pepper is never going to buy that."

Steve obviously saw there was going to be no easy fix to this conversation, so he changed the subject. "Has Thor left yet?"

"Yes, he's already in Norway," replied Bruce, still thinking about the nano-technology.

Tony nodded. "He's currently lurking in Jane Foster's bushes as we speak."

Steve frowned. "Um, okay, whatever. I was wondering if we could call a meeting with the rest of the Avengers in about an hour?"

"Natasha and Clint are still out but I'm guessing they'll be back soon. What's this all about?" asked Bruce.

"I want you all to meet someone," said Steve. "Someone I've been seeing."

Tony sent him a curious look. "Are we going to be introduced to Olivia properly?"

"It's not Olivia," said Steve regretfully. "Her name is Maggie, Maggie Riley."

"You've met another woman?" asked Tony in disbelief. "Wow, way to go from zero to sixty in under three seconds, Captain Freeze." He paused. "Wait, is this Maggie in the room now? Can you see her?"

Steve cast Tony a displeased look. "Of course she isn't," he snapped. "Maggie is very real and she wants to meet the rest of the Avengers."

"And you're sure Maggie is a woman, right?" Tony quizzed him. "Because you've had a chequered history with making that call in the past, if you'll remember."

"Maggie is real and a woman and she's going to be here in an hour to speak to you all," said Steve flatly.

Bruce and Tony looked at each and then back at Steve.

"Okay," confessed Tony, "colour me intrigued."

**oooOOOOooo**

"And that's how I see my being able to help the Avengers and put them back on top," finished off Maggie as she presented her sales pitch to the team as they sat around the conference table while she stood at the head.

There was a brief silence and then Tony spoke. "Ms. Riley, that was a really well thought out presentation and you delivered it well, but I've got to say, the Avengers aren't looking for good PR right now."

"Everyone is looking for good PR, Mr. Stark," she returned smoothly. "That's how things get done."

"Even so," said Bruce, joining in, "there is a lot more going on than a simple popularity competition between the Avengers and the Defenders."

"This isn't about popularity, this is about tipping the balance of power in the Avenger's favour," she countered. "You all know that public perception is important and can have a big impact on how you're able to perform your jobs."

Clint shook his head. "I think what Bruce is trying to say with a lot more going on is that being around us is dangerous right now. I, for one, wouldn't be comfortable with involving civilians with this whole thing."

"Civilians?" repeated Maggie in surprise. "Are you seeing yourself as being in a war?"

"Hawkeye just means that we're trained to be in these kinds of situations and can handle ourselves," inserted Steve.

During all of the back and forth Natasha was silent, not taking her eyes off Maggie. As soon as the woman had walked into the room she recognised that Maggie was a dead ringer for Peggy Carter. Natasha had read all the files on all of the Avengers, she knew what Peggy looked like and she also knew Steve's feelings for her. What were the odds that a woman who looked exactly like a former paramour of Captain America walking into his life at such a crucial time and that it was just a coincidence? In Natasha's mind they weren't high. The whole thing didn't sit right with her.

Maggie was being graceful in defeat as the Avengers let her down gently. "Well," she sighed, "I'm really sorry to hear you all feel this way, but I do understand. If you reconsider down the line, then please give me a call." She smiled at Steve. "Captain Rogers knows how to get in contact with me."

Natasha kept her expression neutral as she watched Steve smile back at her. Maggie then said her goodbyes to the team which they returned and Steve walked her out.

Tony pursed his lips and gave his assessment of the woman. "I think I liked Olivia better, she wasn't trying to sell us anything and I enjoyed watching her trying to kill Steve."

Clint chuckled. "Was it really that bad when Olivia and Steve first met?" He and Natasha had both heard the stories.

"I've been to less brutal executions," affirmed Bruce. "But to his credit, Steve took it in his stride."

"He actually took it in his kneecaps," said Tony in amusement. "I laughed so hard I may have tinkled a little."

Clint sent Natasha an interested look. "What did you make of her, Nat?"

Natasha chose her words very carefully. "I found Maggie to be very... polished."

The team seemed to accept her assessment at face value and Natasha left it at that. An hour later though, Natasha had made her way back to the SHIELD Helicarrier, heading directly to the research room.

Agent Coulson looked up from his screen when she walked in. "Hello, Agent Romanoff," he greeted her. "Is there a problem?"

Natasha walked straight to one of the consoles and started typing in Maggie Riley's details. "I don't know," she said, starting to troll the data bases for any more information on Steve's new girlfriend, "but I'm going to find out."


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N****: My chapters are just getting longer and longer. . Dang, I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. Oh well, 'tis what it 'tis as Thor would say if he was a fan fic writer. ;) **

**First of all, I meant to do this in the other chapter where I had JH doing his little joke about Jeremiah the Bullfrog. I realise a lot of my readers will be too young to get the reference, but if you go to YouTube and type in 'Jeremiah was a bullfrog', you'll get multiple links to the song 'Joy to the World', a pretty famous song covered by multiple artists. I love it and yes, Jerry would be way too young to know about that song. LOL **

**Next I just want to say that even though I'm taking a bit longer to get these chapters out (so sorry about that :( ) and I'm cramming a lot in, it's only been a two days since the big Defenders reveal and all in all, it'll only be three days before the big showdown. So yes, it's happening quickly in 'story time' but it's taking me a bit to write about it all. But at least I'm starting to give some pay offs in this chapter and the next to some of the balls I launched into the air, hopefully you'll find it entertaining enough that it'll justify the complicated nature of this story. ;) **

**Okay, on with the show and there should be an update tomorrow...**

**Chapter Fifty**

Thor shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other and tried to calm down his nerves. This was ridiculous. He'd been less anxious going into battle against Mangog, armed only with a stick. At the time it had only been his life at in danger and Thor was finding out that it was a much scarier thing to have your heart at risk. He knocked on the door of the apartment Jane was staying in, located on the outskirts of town. There was no response, so he knocked again. It had only gone eight o'clock and Thor didn't think it likely that Jane would be asleep already. Possibly he should wait until morning but he'd second guessed long enough about seeing her and now he just needed to know if she still felt the same way about him that he did about her. A dog barked off in the distance as Thor took a step back and looked up at the windows on the second floor. There was a light on and he contemplated once again climbing up through it but then remembered Bruce Banner's stern resistance to the idea and reconsidered.

Instead, Thor walked around to the side of the house where there was a large sliding glass door. A light further in the house was on, so that had to mean Jane was home but not hearing his knocking for some reason. He pulled on the handle of the sliding door and it gave a brief resistance before it glided easily across its runners and granted Thor access. Stepping into the darkened room, Thor looked around. He appeared to be standing in the living room but there was still no sight of Jane. He walked towards the beam of light he could see under the door to the next room. Thor had to turn left down a corridor to get it and as he did, he was met with a guttural scream and then something very hard was contacting with his face. Thor gave a muffled grunt of pain and staggered backwards. He bent over, putting a hand to his aching face as another blow was delivered to the back of his head. Thor dropped to his knees but his fighting instinct had kicked in now. His hand snapped out and grabbed the wrist of his attacker, preventing them from executing another blow to his unprotected head. His gaze connected with the wide eyes of Darcy Lewis, rooted to the spot with a frying pan above her head, Thor still holding onto her wrist.

"Oh," she gasped, clearly in shock, "Thor."

"Hello, Darcy Lewis," he greeted her calmly. "It goes well to see you again." Thor grimaced as he felt the pounding in his head. "Mostly."

Darcy dropped her arms down and shot Thor an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone breaking in. Are you alright?"

Thor stood up and rubbed his nose. "Aye, I shall live."

The pretty brunette fixed him with a bright smile. "At least I didn't hit you with a car this time," she noted before giving him a pointed look. "Although, if you're going to keep popping up unexpectedly like this, you've got to kinda take your chances with that."

"I knocked."

Darcy indicated the little white earphones which were dangling around her neck. "I didn't hear, I was listening to my tunes."

"I did not mean to frighten you," Thor apologised.

Darcy shrugged. "Hey, I've got the fry pan, I wasn't worried."

Thor had to smile at the small, feisty woman in front of him.

"Darcy, did you just scream? Was it that squirrel again? I told you, you can't leave food out."

Thor's heart skipped a beat at the familiar voice and then Jane appeared at the top of the stairs on the other side of the room.

"This time we attracted something a bit bigger than a squirrel," said Darcy wryly as Jane descended the stairs.

Jane gasped when she got halfway down the stairs and could see them properly. "Thor."

Thor turned around and could feel the huge smile on his face. "Hello, Jane Foster," he greeted her, unable to take his eyes off the woman who'd occupied his thoughts from their very first meeting.

Jane's long hair was tied up on the top of her head in a haphazard fashion and she was wearing grey sweat pants and a white t-shirt with the words 'Particle Physics gives me a Hadron' on it. Thor didn't really understand what that meant, more intrigued by the woman under the shirt then what was written on it. She put a self-conscious hand to her hair and looked uncomfortable at being caught out with no makeup and looking such a mess. Jane quickly pulled her hair out and brushed it through with her fingers in an attempt to look somewhat feminine.

To Thor, she looked utterly perfect and he couldn't help himself. "You have grown even lovelier since our last meeting, Jane Foster, I did not believe such a feat to be possible."

Jane grimaced, clearly not convinced by his words.

Darcy seemed to agree. "This must be true love." Darcy held up the fry pan she was still holding. "But I also hit him a few times in the head with this, so may also be brain damage. Too early to tell which way it's going to go."

"There is no damage to my brain," said Thor quickly. "My eyes play no tricks on me, your beauty is without equal, Jane Foster." It was making him nervous that Jane wasn't saying anything.

Jane finally moved from her spot on the stairs and walked across the living room to come and stand in front of him. She craned her neck back to look at him carefully. "Why-what are you doing here?"

He cleared his throat. "I wished to see you," he said quietly.

"But you've been on Earth for so long now," she said unsteadily. "Why are you here now?"

"I wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing in coming to see you," he said honestly. "I have thought of you day and night since our last meeting and I can no longer stay away." Thor made a regretful face. "I am sorry that I do not bear an orang-utan on our first meeting after so long, Jane Foster, but know this, I wish I was."

"Okay," said Jane slowly as she and Darcy exchanged confused looks.

Darcy mouthed the words 'brain damage' to her friend as Jane sent her an exasperated look. "Why did you hit Thor in the head with a frypan?"

"Why did the guy come creeping into our house in the middle of the night?" replied a defensive Darcy. "All I saw was this dark shape. I thought it was a bear!"

"And your weapon of choice against a bear is a fry pan?" asked Jane in disbelief.

"My weapon of choice against a bear is a shotgun, but seeing as they're not that great for frying eggs on, our kitchen only had the fry pan," Darcy shot back.

"You could have killed him," said Jane unhappily.

Darcy snorted. "The guy has fallen to the earth, been hit by multiple cars, faced off against a crazy, giant monster and his lunatic brother and been fine. I don't think a fry pan would have been the straw that broke the demi-god's back."

"I am indeed unharmed," agreed Thor, even though his head still ached. "T'was my fault for frightening the maiden."

Darcy waved her fry pan around. "Once again, not afraid, got the fry pan."

Thor inclined his head. "Indeed, you wield thy weapon with much effectiveness."

"Damn right," said Darcy in satisfaction. "If you were a bear, I would have kicked your ass."

Thor was still having difficulty looking away from Jane, there was so much he wanted to say to her that he didn't know where to begin, despite having rehearsed this first meeting endlessly in his head. Jane stared back at him and it was hard to read her expression in the low light.

Darcy looked back and forth between them as the silence lengthened. "Okay, well, I'm just going to go and umm-" She looked at the cooking utensil in her hand. "Ahh… go and fry something, in my room, I guess."

Thor and Jane were still just staring at each other as Darcy walked by them both as she headed towards the stairs. As she passed Jane, she hissed a request to her. "Ask him about the orang-utan thing, enquiring minds want to know."

Jane wrinkled her nose and didn't reply and then there was just the two of them.

Thor wished he was better at understanding women. "You have not spoken many words to me, Jane Foster, do you harbour ill feelings against me?" Thor braced himself for the answer.

"You disappear out of my life as quickly as you appeared, then I see you on TV fighting in New York and then you're gone again and then you're back in New York, living at the Avenger's Tower for over a month and in all of that time, you never think to contact me," said Jane unevenly.

"I thought," said Thor hastily, "I thought a lot, Jane. You were always with me."

"But I could have been with you, with you," she said unhappily. "If you wanted me to be."

"I was not sure your life would be better for me being in it," said Thor sincerely.

"I feel like I should have had a say in that," pointed out Jane.

Thor half-smiled as he thought of Tony and his similar observation on the subject. "Another has already said those words to me. I hesitated in my purpose and the longer I waited, the less sure I was of what your reception to seeing me again would be."

"I should be really mad at you," Jane said shakily.

His blonde brow furrowed. "Aye." Thor wasn't sure what to say next. He really did wish he had that orang-utan now, because that would have surely made this easier.

Jane's face softened. "I missed you," she said huskily.

Thor's heart leapt a beat and he couldn't help the smile on his face. "Truly?"

A smile was playing around Jane's lips. "Truly."

"I wish to kiss you now, Jane Foster," said Thor softly, "but I understand if you do not wish to entertain my advances after the way I-" He didn't get further as Jane simply launched herself into his arms. A surprised Thor reacted instinctively, wrapping his arms around her and kept Jane's feet dangling off the ground. Her kisses were even more maddening then Thor remembered and he was instantly undone by the woman in his arms.

"Don't go away again," she whispered against his lips.

Thor had no ability to deny her any request now. "Nae, I will stay with you as long as you wish me too, Jane Foster." That was a big promise on Thor's behalf because of his life in Asgard but he knew he meant it. No matter what the future held for him, Thor knew in that moment Jane had to be a part of it.

**oooOOOooo**

Clint strung another arrow to his bow as Natasha walked into the armoury training room. "So?"

"So?" she repeated back to him.

"So what did you find out?" Clint lined up his shot.

"About what?"

"About Maggie," said Clint as he let go of the string and landed a perfect bullseye on the target at the other end of the room.

"What makes you think I was investigating Maggie?" asked Natasha coolly as she came to stand beside him.

"Because it's you and you don't trust anyone," said Clint simply as he restrung his bow.

Natasha was unapologetic. "It's my job not to trust anyone."

Clint let fly his next arrow and it landed neatly next to the first. "And you're amazing at it."

Natasha gave him an intent look. "That was a backhanded compliment."

"I just meant that we're the same, we don't trust easily or often." He smiled at her, restringing his bow. "That's one of the reason what we have is so special." Clint wondered if she'd rise to the bait with that little hanging statement.

Natasha didn't. "I didn't find anything. Margaret Riley is everything she says she is. There is nothing even slightly out of the ordinary about her records or history."

Clint lowered his bow and looked at Natasha with interest. "But?"

"But nothing," said Natasha, looking away. "She's clean."

"But you've still got reservations," Clint countered.

Natasha shrugged. "Maybe it's the brain tumour talking. I've got nothing to base this feeling on."

"Except all those years in the field and those finely honed instincts of yours."

Natasha frowned. "But what if I'm starting to lose my ability to judge these things?" she worried. "You heard Doctor Weinberg, he said the tumour had grown. Maybe it's affecting my cognitive abilities. Maybe I'm not fit to make those kinds of calls anymore."

"I've never heard you second guess yourself before, Nat." He gave her a lop-sided smile. "It makes us mere mortals feel a little better to know you have doubts about yourself every now and then." He nudged her with his shoulder. "And that is all this is, you know. You're letting this tumour thing get in your head." Clint wrinkled his nose. "You know, I meant figuratively speaking, rather than what is literally happening."

Natasha half-smiled. "I knew where you were going with that."

Clint nodded in satisfaction. "That's because we're so simpatico."

"Do you really think that?"

"I've always felt like we had a bond between us, right from the start."

She shook her head. "I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about trusting my instincts."

"I'd trust you and your instincts with my life any moment of any day," said Clint without hesitation.

"Blind loyalty can get you killed," Natasha warned him.

"It's not blind loyalty," he argued. "Hey, I've got as good a survival instinct as the next person and I'm not looking to get dead any time soon. I know you, Natasha and I know what you're capable of and some little tumour isn't going to knock you out of the game." He winked at her. "I've got the pom poms which go with that pep talk, in case you're interested."

Natasha smiled at his teasing. "I'm not."

Clint was undeterred. "If you like you can show me your pom poms at the same time," he teased her. "We can shake them together."

"You're horrible at flirting," she informed him.

"Then why are you smiling?" he countered.

Natasha wasn't going to let him have the last word. "It's a nervous tic."

Clint grinned. "Aha, so I make you nervous, Agent Romanoff, is that what you're saying? I like it."

"The Hulk makes me nervous," she shot back at him, "you just make me-" Natasha hesitated.

"Yes?" he prompted, watching her with keen interest. "Finish that thought."

"I just did," she sassed him, "just not aloud."

"Man, what I wouldn't give to be a mind reader right now," Clint mused. "I guess I'll just have to settle for being roguishly handsome, funny and a brilliant field operative instead."

"You've been hanging around Tony Stark too much," said Natasha dryly.

Clint restrung his bow and faced the target. "Is that such a horrible thing? After all-" He paused taking aim and sent Natasha a cheeky look. "The guy did get the girl after all." Still holding her amused gaze, Clint let the arrow go, knowing without looking that it was going to be another perfect bull's eye. She hadn't punched him after that little statement, that could only be a good thing he concluded and his smile widened.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve looked across the restaurant table at Maggie and made an apologetic face. "I'm sorry the others didn't go for your ideas, Maggie."

Maggie gave a philosophical shrug. "You tried to warn me but I was too pig-headed to listen. Oh well, I gave it my best shot and it's not like I don't have plenty of other clients to keep me busy. I just wish-". She stopped abruptly and looked away.

"Wish what?" Steve urged her.

Maggie looked to be hesitating as she turned back to him. "I've been watching the news with all the things the Defenders have been doing and I couldn't help but think-" She stopped talking again.

Steve frowned. "Maggie, what is it? What do you want to say to me?" He wasn't used to the usually forward Maggie being so hesitant.

"Alright," said Maggie, "I'm just going to say it. I'm watching the Defenders and all I can think about is the potential they'd have with the right person leading them, someone other than Justin Hammer. That guy is obviously a glory hog and pretty deluded, but those heroes he's gathered around him are just that, heroes, and they've been proving it to the world. I can't help but wonder what they could become if they had a real leader to stand behind."

Steve half-frowned. "Where are you going with this, Maggie?"

Maggie leant over the table, her expression earnest. "I saw in that meeting with the rest of the Avengers that they don't give you the respect you deserve, Steve. You're the original Avenger, the first and you're a proven great leader of men. What are the others? A self-involved billionaire, a reclusive sometimes rage monster, a man not even from this planet and two spies whose real loyalties lie with SHIELD. They don't know what it is to be a leader of men, they're all loners one way or the other. You're Captain America, the stuff of legends."

Steve shook his head. "I'm not better than any of them."

"No," she said urgently, "but you're different. You know what it is to be a part of a real team, to fight for something bigger than yourself. Your selfless sacrifice for your country and all of its ideals saw you lose everything and yet, you're still here, fighting the good fight and not getting any respect for it. Look, we all know Hammer is a douche who can't be trusted, you just have to look at his history to see that. He only thinks he's important now because he has the Defenders behind him, making him look good. I just know that if they were given a chance to meet you and see what kind of a man you are, they'd be willing to be led by you." Maggie reached out and covered Steve's hand with her own. "Think about it, Steve, you could have a real team again. You could have a team which respects and listens to you and you could be part of something amazing and productive, rather than a group of broken misfits who don't know how they fit into the world. You were born to lead, Steve, and if the Avengers can't see that and take advantage of it, then maybe the Defenders will. Those men are in need of a true leader and that person isn't Justin Hammer."

Steve stared at Maggie, momentarily lost for words. Her earnest declarations had honestly shocked him. "I-I can't believe you're saying this to me," he said at last.

Maggie squeezed his hand. "Think about what I'm saying, Steve," she urged him. "The Defenders aren't bad, they're just being led by someone who is. You need to save them from Hammer's agenda, whatever the hell it might be. They're just pawns in a bigger game being played, a blind man can see that."

Steve looked down at her hand covering his. "You want me to leave the Avengers and defect to the Defenders?" he asked in disbelief.

"I want you to consider where you can do the most good," said Maggie genuinely. "Be honest, Steve, you can't tell me that most of the Avengers' time is spent dealing with issues, both personal and corporate between you all. The Avengers aren't a team, they're a train wreck. Imagine if all that energy you put into simply being around each other could be channelled into doing good? You'd make such a difference in this world."

Steve let her words slowly sink in, their meaning impacting on him as he was hit with a surprising epiphany. He let it wash over him, wrapping his head around the magnitude of this realisation. "You know," he said quietly, everything suddenly very clear to him after months of confusion, "I think you're right, Maggie..."

**A/N****: Hmm, a little twist in the tale right at the end of this chapter. Did I catch anyone off guard with this last scene? ;) **


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N****: Well, a little bit of back lash against poor old Maggie in the last chapter, I see. LOL Boy, try to get Cap to play for the other team and suddenly she's a pariah. ;) **

**Let's read on to see what happens next. I'm getting a bit excited as we get closer to the end of this fic and more things fall into place. My fingers are crossed for an update tomorrow as well – stay tuned... **

**Chapter Fifty- One**

Maggie's face lit up. "Oh Steve, it makes me so happy to hear you say that. I'm sure I can set up a meeting with the Defenders as early as tomorrow and you can meet properly and-"

Steve was forced to interrupt Maggie's excited plans. "I think you're right, Maggie," he said again, "the Avengers are a train wreck and yes, they're not the kind of team I'm used to being involved with-"

"Great, then you'll meet with the Defenders," she interjected happily. "It's going to be amazing to see you take on the true mantel of being a leader again. I can't wait."

"Maggie, I don't want to lead the Defenders," said Steve quietly but firmly.

Maggie looked taken aback. "Oh, but-" she frowned, "but you just said-"

"I know what I said and I know what the Avengers are and yes, like I said, it's not the kind of team I'm used to but that doesn't make them bad or not worth the effort."

Maggie sat back in her seat and looked confused. "I don't understand."

Steve gave a sad smile. "I didn't either, for the longest time, until just now really. I've been spending all these months, since I woke up, longing for things to be how they used to be." He moved his shoulders restlessly. "All I lost, my old life, the people I loved-" Steve snuck a look at Maggie and then looked away. "I was mourning them and I wanted them back. I didn't want to let go of everything I had, because I was afraid it'd mean it wasn't important somehow." His brow creased as he struggled to find the right words to explain the turmoil he'd been dealing with for so long. "Those people, that life, it meant something, something important and I didn't want to forget, ever." Steve gave Maggie a serious look. "I kept comparing the Avengers and this life to what I used to have and finding it lacking but the truth is you can't compare the two. They're as different as apples and umbrellas. Just sitting here, I suddenly realised the only thing that hasn't changed is me. Before I thought that was a bad thing and I just needed to get with the times because there was no place in this world for a man like me." Steve shook his head. "But that isn't true. I've fought beside the Avengers and lived with them and you know what, each one of them is truly amazing. Sure, we all might be a bit dysfunctional, but in a crazy kind of way, I think the team actually benefits from all of those big personalities." He looked Maggie in the eye. "Nothing worthwhile is easy and I believe, no, I know, the Avengers are worthwhile. As for the Defenders, if any of them wanted to join the Avengers and were sincere, then of course we'd look at that, but that is something else again. None of us chose each other in the beginning, but we've all chosen to stick it out and I'm not going to walk away from that." Steve drew in a long breath and leaned back in his chair, realising all of that had been brewing inside of him without even knowing it. For the first time since waking up, Steve truly felt a part of something bigger than himself.

Maggie looked a little shock but tried to cover. "Well, I guess that was you telling me how you really feel. I'm sorry I mentioned it. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, "I didn't plan to dump that all on you, but you're right, that's how I feel. The Avengers are something special and I'm proud to be a part of the team, warts and all."

Maggie half-smiled. "Well, if nothing else, I'm glad you seem to have gotten some clarity on that front."

Steve nodded, pleased. "I have," he said in satisfaction. "I really, really have."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony sat, suspended, in the safety pod. The device was equipped with an ergonomic chair which matched whatever position you wanted to be in, sitting, standing, and even reclining. The chair was more of a metal frame where a person could lean back into and be secured in it. When you stood up, you could just walk and the ball would roll smoothly with you. Running, this thing was going to be even faster, as a little effort from the person inside guaranteed a bigger return from the energy absorbing outer casing. Tony ran a few more checks on internal structure, having just equipped the pod with a series of lasers which would pop up on the outside of the ball at a touch of a button. He was going to have to do some more testing of this in a bigger area, maybe a field of some description. He wondered idly what Yankee Stadium was being used for during the off season and what the chances were he could talk Happy into doing a few laps so he could calibrate the targeting system. Even while Tony was working on the pod, another part of his mind was thinking about Pepper and the baby. She still hadn't told him and Tony feared if she didn't tell him soon, he was going to go officially insane. He didn't know what that would exactly entail, but his past moments of insanity had been fairly spectacular, so it seemed to him it was safe to assume this was going to be bad.

Pepper was everything to him and the thought of losing her had him breaking out in a cold sweat. Tony had made the mistake of looking up pregnancy on the computer last night and the range of things which could go wrong had him spending the rest of the night just staring at the ceiling. He'd never realised how dangerous this whole pregnancy business could potentially be for a woman. It was only real to him now that it was his woman at risk, his Pepper and Tony didn't know how to tell Pepper he was scared for her without making it sound like he didn't want the baby. It wasn't so much that he didn't want the baby, it was more that the entire thought of a baby was such an abstract one, Tony couldn't begin to formulate a way to comprehend what a baby really meant. Tony couldn't get past surviving a pregnancy and all the worry involved of that, the concept of a baby and the endless areas of heartache and confusion a child would bring was beyond him.

"Agent Coulson is entering the laboratory, sir."

Tony started at Jarvis' calm observation.

Phil Coulson walked into the lab, somehow getting past Tony's security coded door and stopped in front of the safety pod.

"You know, it's polite to knock," said a disgruntled Tony. "I could have been doing anything in here."

Agent Coulson looked over the giant clear ball before addressing Tony inside. "I'd hate to see the hamster this was made for," he noted calmly.

"It's a safety pod," Tony corrected him automatically.

"I know, for a giant hamster," said Coulson, not missing a beat.

"It's a self-contained offensive and defensive safety pod," Tony returned.

A little smile played around Coulson's lips. "Is that something we're doing now, arming giant hamsters?"

Tony moved so the ball was facing him. "Is there something I can help you with, Agent Coulson?" he asked in vexation. "Or is busting my chops part of your job description now?"

"It's not a part of the job description per se but it is actively encouraged, particularly by Director Fury," said Coulson in amusement. "And I do have an update for you on our progress with the Hammer issue."

Tony was instantly on alert as he pressed a button and a part of the pod opened up, forming a door. He climbed out and looked at Coulson with interest. "Well?"

"We're making progress with tracking down this Ghost person, we're getting closer."

"But you're not there yet?"

"No, not yet."

"So, you're progress report is that no actual progress has been made."

"No, there has been progress."

"Just nothing we can use."

"Correct."

Tony pointed to his expressionless face. "Do you see this, Agent Coulson, this is me being entirely underwhelmed. Watch carefully, I'll do it again." His face remained impassive.

"I realise you were hoping for more," he said apologetically, "but I thought you'd like to know we're closing in on Ghost and we all feel like he's the key to Hammer. Without Ghost, Hammer is just another crazy guy with a bag load of money."

"They can still be dangerous," Tony warned him.

"Oh, we know," said Coulson, fixing Tony with a pointed look.

"I'm not crazy," Tony protested.

"I think what I like best about your giant hamster ball is the way it catches the afternoon light," said Coulson, straight-faced.

"The _safety pod_ is a revolution," said Tony defensively. "You mark my words, SHIELD is going to be clamouring for a fleet of these things."

"They float?"

"If I want them to." Tony scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I mean, probably, if I did some tweaking."

"I look forward to the day when I can say I've been immersed in Tony Stark's balls," said Coulson without missing a beat.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume that I'm hearing that out of context," said Steve as he walked into the lab and sent a pleading look at Coulson. "Right?"

"Tony was just telling me about his giant hamster ball," agreed Coulson.

"Safety pod," said Tony in frustration. "Why is that so hard to remember?"

"We can remember," said Steve blithely. "It's just more fun this way."

"I'm not here as a source of amusement for you, Captain Freeze Frame."

Steve's lips twitched. "It's so cute that you think that."

"You're in a good mood," said Tony accusingly. "Where have you been?"

"Out."

"With Marketing Mad Margaret?" Tony quizzed him.

"I tend to just call her Maggie," said Steve wryly.

"I prefer Olivia," Tony announced. "I liked her, a lot."

"You mean you liked how Olivia would routinely inflict pain on me?" Steve challenged him.

Tony laid a pleading hand on Steve's shoulder. "Is it really outside the realms of possibility that you having a girlfriend could be a source of entertainment for the both of us?" Tony waited for Steve's snipe back at him, but it never came. Instead Steve just smiled. Tony frowned and looked over at Coulson. "What is that, what is he doing?"

"He's smiling," offered up Coulson.

Tony gave Steve a suspicious look. "Why are you smiling?"

Steve shrugged and continued to smile. "I guess I'm just appreciating the moment and all that I have right here, right now."

Tony looked worried as he addressed Coulson again. "What do you think he means by that?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" returned Coulson.

"What if his answer makes this an even more awkward moment?"

"Could the moment be more awkward?" countered Coulson.

"Side note," said Steve, "I'm still in the room. Can't a guy just be pleased to see his friends?"

Tony scowled at him. "No, it's weird and creepy. Don't ever do it again."

"You can be pleased to see me again," volunteered Coulson happily.

"Don't encourage him," Tony hissed. "We don't know where this could lead."

"It's leading to me catching a movie." Steve looked at Coulson. "Want to come? I'm trying to catch up on current American cinema."

"He's working," said Tony quickly.

Coulson looked like he'd just been asked to prom. "I'll go," he said eagerly.

"You're working," Tony protested.

"Technically I'm still on sick leave," said Coulson, touching his chest gingerly.

"Great," said Steve easily, "I don't know what's playing, but I'm happy to watch anything."

Coulson was grinning. "Sounds good to me."

"Am I invited to this cinematic outing, or is just going to be you and your fan girl here?" asked Tony with an arch of his eyebrow.

"You can sit still and not talk for two hours?" asked Steve in disbelief.

"Theoretically," Tony threw back at him.

"That means no," said Coulson knowingly.

Steve half-smiled. "That's what I thought. Come on, let's go, Phil."

"Again with the Phil," said Tony in exasperation. "What is that all about?"

"It's my name," pointed out Coulson mildly.

Tony snorted. "Whatever." He watched them go and rolled his eyes before calling out some last minute advice. "You just watch him once the lights go out. Just because the guy buys you some popcorn, doesn't mean he gets to be all handsie. Remember, nobody is going to buy the cow when you can get the milk for free."

Steve looked back over his shoulder. "Which one of us are you talking to?"

Tony shrugged. "At this point, I'm really not sure."

"Ignore him," Coulson advised Steve, "he's just jealous."

"Would you two stop making this weird," Steve begged them. "I just want to see a movie."

Tony's lips quirked, knowing there was never going to be a time when he didn't enjoy rattling Steve's cage. It was a dull man who didn't have a hobby he decided.

**oooOOOOooo**

Senator Kidston walked into his office and came to an abrupt halt when he saw the man standing by the window, looking out on the cityscape below. "Director Fury," a note of disapproval in his voice, "I wasn't aware we had a meeting scheduled."

Fury turned to face him, his face inscrutable. "Some things are more important than schedules."

"Is that right?" asked Kidston in irritation as he walked into the room and immediately went to sit behind his desk, placing himself at the centre of the room, the seat of power.

Fury hid his amusement at the man's obvious attempt to gain control of the situation.

"What is this about, Director?"

"What do you think this is about, Senator?"

Kidston made an impatient noise. "I don't have time to play guessing games with you, Director Fury. Say whatever you feel you need to say and then get out. I'm a busy man."

"You certainly are," agreed Fury casually. "But is your time being invested wisely?" He walked up to the desk and fixed Kidston with a hard look with his one good eye. The patch had its own way to intimidate. "You're making a mistake by climbing into bed with Justin Hammer."

Kidston looked indignant. "I have done no such thing," he said sharply. "I'm merely a supporter of the man's willingness to work towards the corporate good." Kidston sent Hammer a pointed look. "Something you'd know nothing about seeing as you and your little team of vigilantes are intent on working outside any kind of law or government. Hammer was smart enough to know it takes friends to really get things done."

Fury's lips curled in disgust. "And that's what you think you and Hammer are, friends?"

"We're two people who know what collaboration for the greater good can achieve," said Kidston with a typical political reply.

Fury shook his head. "You think you're using him to secure your political position, but the truth is, Senator, he's using you."

Kidston's tone dripped with disdain. "I think I have a better understanding of our arrangement then you, Director Fury. Justin Hammer is all about the glory."

"No," Fury corrected him ominously, "Hammer is all about the power and he's using you to secure it. This is all going to blow up in your face when he shows his hand, and mark my words, Senator, that day is coming, faster than you think. My only concern is just how many innocent people are going to pay for your lack of judgement and political ambitions."

Kidston just smiled. "Do I detect the faint odour of sour grapes wafting off you, Director Fury? The Defenders are beloved by the people, while you have no real control over your band of misfits. You backed the wrong horse. You could have been in on being a policy maker, a man with the power to change the world, but instead your continuing intransience has doomed you to be on the outside looking in. You could have been a part of something incredible, but threw it away for your precious autonomy."

"I _am_ part of something incredible," countered Fury, "and it's something without an agenda."

Kidston waved a dismissive hand at him. "Oh please, Fury, as though you didn't come here with an agenda. It's how the world works."

"I came here to warn you that you've made an ill-advised bed mate in Hammer," said Hammer darkly. "There is a lot more going on here than some pissing competition between two bands of heroes."

"Maybe, but that's the only thing you care about," shot back Kidston. "All you care about is that the Defenders are making the Avengers look bad and they, along with you, are being dragged through the mud."

Fury's gaze hardened. "Do I look like a man who is afraid of a little mud to you, Senator?"

"You look like a man desperate to hang onto the little empire he built up around himself."

"Take a look in the mirror, Senator, I think you're talking about someone else." Fury tried one last time. "Hammer is a dangerous, unpredictable man and you're playing right into his hands for your own political gain. This is going to end badly unless you withdraw your support for Hammer and his paid goons, you mark my words."

Kidston just smiled. "Consider them marked," he said coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a senate committee waiting on me, and I do hate to keep good, law abiding folk waiting."

"You just remember this moment, Senator," said Fury portentously. "You remember this as the moment as when you could have saved yourself and a lot of others and how you walked away from it for the promise of power and position." He turned on his heel, not giving the Senator a chance to respond and just walked out the door. Fury knew there had been little hope in convincing Kidston to change his alliance, but he wanted to look the man in the eye and see just what it was he knew. It was now obvious to him Kidston had underestimated Hammer and wasn't privy to what was really going on. The pieces were falling into place but Fury was worried that it was going to come together too late for SHIELD and the Avengers to minimise the damage. His jaw hardened as he strode down the halls of power, boots echoing loudly. He wasn't one to shy away from a fight and Hammer was drawing very distinct battle lines and that was his first mistake. Hammer had relied on them underestimating him up until this point but Fury knew that the more power the other man managed to wrangle for himself, the more cocky he'd become and that was ultimately going to be his downfall, because the Avengers never made the same mistake twice...


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N****: Sorry I took a little longer then I planned with this chapter. I kept leaving the file at work. D'oh! Anyway, remembered it today, so it's all good. **

**I don't know what you'll make of this chapter, so I'll just let you read and you can make your own call... :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Two**

The next morning Tony walked into the kitchen just as Steve was pouring milk on his morning cereal and Bruce was waiting for his toast to pop. "Well," said Tony dramatically, breaking the peaceful scene with his loud voice, "she still hasn't told me."

"I'm assuming we're talking about Pepper here," said Bruce calmly as he leant against the kitchen bench, waiting for his toast.

"Yes," grumbled Tony as he took a seat across from Steve who was cutting up a banana to go over his cornflakes. "Why the hell won't Pepper tell me about this baby?"

"I don't know," said Bruce straight-faced, "I mean, you took it so well the other day, I can't imagine what would be worrying her."

"I'm not going to react like that when she tells me," Tony snapped. "Obviously." He grimaced. "Probably." Tony shook his head. "No, I'm going to be fine. I've had a run up at this thing, I've got my shocked pleasure down pat." He ran through a series of expression meant to display surprise and then absolute glee.

Bruce waved a finger at Tony's face. "What is that, what is happening with your face?"

"I'm doing surprised happiness," Tony informed him.

"You look you're passing gas," Steve informed him around a mouthful of milky cornflakes and banana.

"You look deranged," Bruce countered. "Whatever you do, don't make that face when Pepper tells you, otherwise she's going to have you committed."

Tony glared at them. "You two aren't helping."

Bruce arched an eyebrow. "Trust me, you not making the face of a serial killer at Pepper during such a critical conversation is us helping."

Tony groaned and rubbed his forehead. "I'm over thinking this, that's my problem."

"It's _one _of your problems, sure," agreed Bruce easily.

"Shut up, Banner," Tony snapped. "If I want someone in my life to make up pithy rejoinders, I'd invent an imaginary friend called Cyril who wears a cap."

Bruce's toast popped up but he ignored it, clearly intrigued. "And why a cap?"

Tony gave him an exasperated look. "So I can tell him apart from my non-imaginary friends, of course." He rolled his eyes. "And you call yourself a genius."

Bruce's expression didn't change. "How lucky is this kid of yours that insanity skips a generation."

Tony's stomach turned over at Bruce's words. "Kid of mine," he repeated raggedly. "God, can you even begin to imagine what that would be like? Two of me in the world."

"Ug," said Steve, "I'm eating here, do you mind?"

"You know, Pepper gets a genetic say this child, you may luck out," said Bruce sensibly.

"Two Peppers." The concept rolled around in Tony's head. "I'll never win an argument again."

"How many are you winning now?" asked Steve with interest.

Tony pulled a face and thought about that. "Umm-"

"It doesn't sound to me like your stats are going to take much of a hit somehow," said Bruce in amusement.

Tony made a frustrated sound. "I can't take this waiting, it's killing me. Waiting for Hammer, waiting for Fury, waiting for Pepper. I'm not built for this." He slapped the table. "Why won't she just tell me already? What could possibly have Pepper putting this off?"

Steve didn't look up from his cereal. "In _El Corazón Palpitante_, Rosalita didn't tell Umberto about the baby, because it wasn't his," he remarked absently. Steve must have realised what he said because he abruptly looked up and shook his head at Tony. "But obviously that isn't the reason here," he finished off hastily.

"You think Pepper has cheated on me with another man and is pregnant with his baby?" asked an outraged Tony. Even as an impossible theory, Tony was almost out of control at the thought.

"No, no," said Steve hastily, "of course I don't. Pepper would never do that, no matter how often you flaked on her and let her down and left her alone. There is no way she'd turn to another man when you're being an ass to her."

Bruce's lips quirked. "Not one of your most reassuring speeches, Cap," he said dryly.

Steve made a frustrated hand gesture. "You know what I mean, Pepper just isn't the kind of person to be unfaithful and even if it was a onetime thing, I know she'd tell you."

"What do you mean, a onetime thing?" asked Tony indignantly. "Are you saying that one time, when I'd upset Pepper, she might have found herself looking for comfort in the arms of another man? Is that what you're saying, Rogers?"

Steve looked out of his depth. "I just came for the cereal," he said unevenly.

Tony knew it was insanity to even consider Pepper being unfaithful but now that the thought was there, he couldn't get it out of his head. It explained why she hadn't told him yet and God knows, there were enough times when Tony had deserted her that Pepper might have had a weak moment with some bastard pretending to care. "Son of a bitch!" he bit out, his jealousy enveloping him in a minute of madness.

Bruce stepped in. "Okay, stop, just stop, Tony. You're on edge, I know that, but you need to calm down and think about this rationally."

Tony knew Bruce was right but that didn't stop him from fumbling for his phone. Huge emotions were washing over him and as panicked as he was at the thought that he was about to be a father, Tony found himself even more panicked over the fact he might not about to be a father, however infinitesimally remote that possibility was.

"Tony, no!" Bruce ordered him but Tony had already dialled Pepper's number, not sure if she'd left for that early morning meeting yet.

He forced himself to make his voice sound as natural sounding and calm as possible. It went to Pepper's voice mail. "Hey, sweetheart," he said brightly, "didn't get a chance to see you this morning, you were gone so early. Just thought I'd check in with you and see how you're going and if there was anything you wanted to talk to me about because my door is always open, wide, wide open, if it was any more open grizzlies would wander in off the street and would probably kill us all in our beds, not that there are lots of grizzlies in New York. Wait, no, that wasn't what I was going for, what I was trying to say was-"

Beeep.

Pepper's voice mail cut him off.

"Damn it!" muttered Tony as he dialled her number again and it went to voice mail once more. "Hey, Pep, me again. Got cut off. Not your fault I know. I mean I understand how these things happen." Tony's brain was about five steps behind his mouth. "A lot of things can happen that we don't plan and we can do something that we didn't mean to and then there are all these consequences but I just want you to know, if you're dealing with some consequences right now that I want to be a part of that, I really, really do and I don't care if there was a mistake when I wasn't around because I know how easy mistakes are to make and just because this mistake may have put his filthy hands all over you-". Tony couldn't finish that thought, banging his cell phone repeatedly on the table in a fit of fury at the thought of some other man touching Pepper. He drew in a ragged breath and tried to calm down.

Steve and Bruce were openly staring at him now after that little performance, Steve frozen in place, his spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth as he listened in on Tony's garbled messages.

Tony quickly dialled Pepper's number again. "Pepper," he said hastily, "sorry, sorry, got a little crazy, but I'm fine now, I promise. Just call me when you get this and we can talk. Okay, love you, call me, love you." Tony hung up and then took in the way Steve and Bruce were looking at him like he'd just grown another head.

Bruce shook his head. "And that, Steve, in case you're wondering, is what a nervous breakdown looks like."

Tony felt sick to the stomach as he realised what he'd just done. "Oh God," he said in horror, "I've got to delete those messages." Tony leapt up and rushed out into the living room just as Pepper appeared through the door on the other side of the room.

Pepper smiled at him, her cell phone in hand. "Oh, hi, I just got your messages and I'm about to open them, it must be important-"

Tony bolted across the room and slapped the phone from Pepper's hand then promptly jumped on it when it hit the floor, smashing it to smithereens.

"Tony!" Pepper gasped in shock. "What are you doing?"

"It was a bomb!" he lied.

"What?" she said in disbelief. "A bomb?"

Tony realised he was going to have trouble selling that. "I mean, I just woke up and I was dreaming that your cell phone was a bomb and I guess I just got confused."

Steve and Bruce were in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, watching the show.

"Nice save," commented Steve straight-faced.

"Very smooth," agreed a laconic Bruce.

"Tony," said Pepper, giving them all a confused look, "what is going on, why did you destroy my phone?"

"I was having a bad dream," said Tony, having no choice but to back his lie.

Bruce leaned over to Steve in a quiet aside. "Some might argue he's still having that bad dream."

"That phone had all my numbers in it," said Pepper, still sounding like she was in shock.

"I'll retrieve the sim card and fix it all up for you," Tony volunteered.

Pepper frowned. "Are you alright, Tony? You've been behaving very oddly lately."

"I'm fine," said Tony with feigned brightness. "Not a care in the world. Why? Is there something you want to talk about, anything, anything at all? Maybe something on your mind that you've been carrying around for awhile and want to get off your chest?"

Pepper stared at him for a moment while Tony held his breath and then her shoulders sagged. "You know, don't you?" Her brow wrinkled. "How do you know?"

Tony's heart was beating ten to the dozen. "I, ah, well, I was in your office and-"

"You were snooping," finished off Pepper in exasperation.

"No, no, I wasn't snooping," said Tony quickly. "I was looking for some paper to write on and well, found it."

Pepper was looking at him nervously, biting her bottom lip. "Well?" she prompted him quietly. "What do you think?"

Tony took a deep breath, knowing this was his moment to do this thing right but even now the whole thing had this surreal feeling to it that made it hard for him to believe this was really happening. Even as it was really happening. "Sweetheart, I'm thrilled."

Pepper looked taken aback. "You-you are?"

Tony kept a big smile plastered on his face. "Of course, I couldn't be more excited about the whole thing."

She gave him a sceptical look. "Really? I thought you might have some issues about how it happened and me not telling you right away. I thought you might be mad with me."

Tony grabbed Pepper's arms and tried to block out the fear in his voice. "Pepper, I could never be mad with you over something like this. I'm happy, thrilled, ecstatic, excited, in fact I'm overjoyed, my joy couldn't be more over-"

"Overselling it," Bruce advised him from the sidelines.

Tony drew in another uneven breath and watched the relief flood Pepper's face. She hugged him and gave a little laugh. "Oh, thank heavens, I was so nervous about telling you and I really didn't expect such a positive reaction." Pepper pulled back and gave him a brief kiss. "Thank you for being so supportive and understanding and don't worry, Tony, I'm going to do all the work, you won't have to be involved at all."

"But I want to be involved," said Tony quickly.

Pepper looked really surprised at that. "You do? This kind of thing isn't exactly up your alley, Tony."

"Well, it's up my alley now," said Tony firmly, even though he wasn't as convinced of that as he sounded.

Pepper blinked. "Oh well, this is really surprising."

Tony was a little hurt that Pepper didn't think he'd want to be involved. "Why?"

"Because you've never shown any kind of interest in this stuff before."

"That was then, this is now." Tony put his arms around her and pulled her close. "This is our baby, Pepper, and I want to be a part of everything."

Pepper gave a little laugh and patted his cheek. "That's so nice that you're thinking this way, Tony, but honestly, there isn't too much more you can do now. It's kind of all been done."

"You-you don't want me involved?" asked Tony, not knowing what to think about that.

Pepper winked at him. "You've done enough. I'll take it from here." She glanced at her watch and groaned. "And I'm going to be late again at this rate." Pepper smiled at him. "We'll talk some more at dinner, okay?"

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets and forced a smile to his lips. "Yes, dinner, sounds great."

Pepper's smile included all the men. "Everyone have a good day."

"You too, Pep," answered Bruce for them and then she was gone.

Tony was left rooted to the spot. "Well, there you go," he said shakily, "confirmation, I'm going to be a daddy. Now I'll have two people to worry about consistently and get an ulcer over." Tony swallowed hard. "Yay," he said without enthusiasm.

"Because Pepper being pregnant is all about you," observed Steve.

Tony turned around and scowled at the other man. "Shut up Cap Stain...ahh... Cap... umm Capenstein."

"Not one of your better attempts," Steve critiqued.

"What do you do you want from me?" Tony complained. "I'm emotionally drained."

"I'm emotionally drained just watching you," agreed Bruce.

"Did anyone else think it weird that Pepper doesn't really want me involved with this baby stuff?" asked Tony unevenly.

"No," said Steve and Bruce as one.

Tony glared at them. "Shut up."

**oooOOOOooo**

"It's at 100%, sir, and all the checks are clear. We have complete control."

Hammer's lips curved up into a self-satisfied smile as he walked along the corridor to his penthouse apartment. "Excellent work, Jerry. I'm very pleased."

"I'm happy you're happy, sir," came Jerry's nervous response. "What do you want me to do now?"

"Brace yourself to be a part of history," was Hammer's triumphant reply.

There was a lengthy pause on the other end of the line. "Umm, okay, anything else?"

"Stay by the phone, we have just one more piece of the puzzle to put in place and then, by the end of today, there will be a new world order in place." Hammer hung up and could hardly contain his excitement. All of his plans were coming together perfectly and nothing was going to stop him now. A surge of pleasure ran through him as he imagined Tony Stark's face when he finally put all of this together. It was too delicious for words. Hammer walked through his apartment door to find he already had a visitor. The shapely woman with platinum blonde hair was lounging on his sofa. She looked up and gave him a cool smile which in no way reached her unsettling too pale blue eyes. His guest inclined her head. "Justin."

Hammer's smile was more genuine. "Well, hello there, my dear Ghost, I see you've made yourself at home." He didn't ask how she'd gotten past his heightened security. That was just what Ghost did and was one of the many reasons he'd been more than happy to have the enigmatic woman by his side in all of this. In his more generous moments Hammer knew he couldn't have achieved all this without her, but it wasn't in his nature to admit anything aloud.

"I always do," came the disaffected reply.

"Drink?" Hammer headed towards the bar.

"No."

Hammer nodded. "Right, clear head at all times, I remember." He pulled out a bottle of champagne from the bar fridge. "Well, if you don't mind, my dear, I'm in the mood to celebrate."

This caught her interest as that unnerving pale gaze of hers fixed him with an intense look. "The nano-pedes have completed integration?"

"Just got the word from Jerry," said Hammer with great pleasure. "Hammer is well and truly in da house." He smiled, enjoying his little pun.

Ghost stood up and looked to be thinking. "We're ahead of schedule. I thought that we'd have another day before integration was established."

"Nope," said Hammer brightly as he took a sip of champagne, enjoying the way the bubbles tickled his nose, "we're in and we're in today." He felt like doing a little jig, but Ghost wasn't one to hold with any kind of frivolity. Truth be told, he was a little intimidated by the icy woman. She was hard to read and gave no indication of what she was thinking at any given time. Add to that her lack of qualms about taking out anyone who got in her way and her unquestionable genius, she'd be quite the adversary. Hammer was just pleased they were on the same side. Of course, once he'd secured his seat of power, Ghost would have to be eliminated, which was a pity, but he couldn't take the chance she'd eventually get delusions of grandeur and end up challenging his carefully acquired power.

"So now just the relay needs to be planted," she observed, "and then the takeover can begin."

"Everything is organised south of the border?"

"Yes."

"Then yes, the relay is the last piece of the puzzle." Hammer looked over the top of his champagne flute at her. "It's arguably the most important piece, crucial to our plans and it needs to be delivered into the heart of the Avengers. Are you sure you can do that, Ghost?"

Ghost turned to him, a look of calm assuredness on her face, even as that face started to ripple, the nano-bots her blood stream had carried to all of the muscles of her face going to work, contorting her face and reshaping it into something else. The nano-bots worked their magic on her platinum hair, turning it chestnut brown before her eyes darkened to brown. The face of Maggie Riley, or more correctly, Peggy Carter stared back at Hammer and not for the first time Hammer marvelled at the amazing technology he'd managed to secure via Noble Maniatis. The ability of these specifically engineered nano-bots to be given a DNA sequencing from one person and transfer it to another was nothing short of miraculous.

The transformed Ghost stared back at him. "I'm sure," she said with clinical indifference, walking out the door.


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N****: Phew, big sigh of relief that you guys found the last chapter amusing, hopefully this one will be the same. And before you think I've just let this story go to slapstick-ridden pot, I think there is another two chapters and then we're into the big showdown and then the story will be over. Yay! Things are going to get mighty serious very soon, so enjoy the zaniness while it's here and thanks again for reviewing. I can't believe I'm getting so close to 1000 reviews, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that happening with this fic. You guys all R-O-C-K! :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Three**

Tony straightened up as he heard Pepper's approaching footsteps. He hastily straightened the giant red bow on the most expensive crib money could buy and stood beside it. This morning Pepper hadn't seem to want his involvement in this whole baby thing, but Tony was intent that she knew she could rely on him.

"Tony?"

"In here." he called out to her. "I'm in the bedroom."

"What's so important that you had to see me right away?" she asked walking into the room and then stopped abruptly when she saw the beautifully made up crib, complete with a plethora teddy bears in different shapes and sizes. "Oh." Pepper looked at him in confusion. "What is this?"

"I thought, seeing as there is going to be a baby in our midst soon, that it'd probably need a place to sleep."

Pepper shook her head and looked at him in amazement. "You're just full of surprises today and seem to know everything that is going on with everyone all of a sudden." She walked up to the crib and looked it over, stroking the head of the largest teddy bear absently. "This is really beautiful, Tony."

Tony's smile widened, seeing that Pepper was impressed. It was a good start. "I just wanted to show you I can be involved in things."

Pepper blinked and looked a little perplexed. "I guess." She looked back at the crib. "This is so thoughtful of you, Tony, but don't you think it's a bit much?"

Tony was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's not like it's your baby after all," observed Pepper. Her words took a moment to register with Tony and by then she was smiling at him and patting him on the chest as she gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "But it's very sweet of you. You can be quite the softie when you want to be." She wrinkled her nose apologetically as she glanced at her watch. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. I have another meeting but I love that you did this, Tony. You just keep on surprising me." Pepper gave him another quick kiss.

The blood was still roaring in a dumbstruck Tony's ears as Pepper blithely walked off to go to her meeting, leaving a thoroughly shaken Tony in her wake.

**oooOOOooo**

Steve frowned and quizzed Tony yet again. "And you're sure that's what she said, that it wasn't your baby?"

"I was standing right there," said Tony unevenly. "Pepper's exact words were 'it's not like it's your baby'." Tony had walked out of their apartment and just kept walking. Steve had found him standing in front of the refrigerator, staring blankly in at the contents with no interest in food whatsoever. He was still in shock when Steve had sat him down and gotten Tony to tell him what was wrong.

Steve sat back in his seat and shook his head. "That doesn't sound right. There is no way Pepper would say something like that, let alone do it. You must have heard wrong."

"I didn't hear wrong," said Tony determinedly. "Trust me, I wish I had."

Steve looked flummoxed. "It just doesn't make sense."

"I know that!" said Tony, voice rising in agitation. "Don't you think I know that?"

Steve shrugged. "Look, there is nothing for it, you're just going to have to talk to Pepper about it."

Tony looked at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What else is there?" he protested.

"If I go to Pepper and ask if she's pregnant with another man's baby and I'm wrong-"

"Then that's great news."

Tony glared at him. "In the short term, yes, but you have to think big picture when you're in a relationship. I make that kind of accusation and best case scenario I never win another argument for the rest of our lives and I already barely win any as it is."

"I could see Pepper being upset," Steve acknowledged.

"Upset?" repeated Tony in agitation. "I'm already on thin ice thanks to the writing thing and the hamster ball thing."

"Safety pod," Steve corrected him.

"You're an ass," said Tony flatly.

Steve ignored him. "Look, none of this is making any sense," he reiterated. "We have to be missing something here."

"What are we missing?" asked Tony dramatically. "My girlfriend is pregnant with another man's baby." He slammed his head down on the kitchen bench, actually saying the words aloud ripping him in two.

Steve flinched as Tony's head made a sickening sound connecting with the hard metal surface. "Did that hurt? It sounded like it hurt."

"This can't be true," Tony groaned. "Pepper would never do this to me."

"That's what I said," noted Steve.

Tony jerked his head up. "Okay, then, what did she mean by telling me it wasn't my baby?"

"Are you _sure_ that's what she said?" Steve quizzed him. "Maybe Pepper was joking."

"She wasn't joking," Tony rasped.

Steve shrugged. "Then it all comes down to how desperate you are for the truth."

"I think we've already established I'm desperate by the fact I'm coming to you for advice," said Tony snippily.

"Then you have to suck it up and go and talk to Pepper about it," said Steve decisively. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Tony grimaced as a million scenarios ran through his head, none of them good.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jane held onto Thor's arm tightly as she looked around at the impressive entrance to the foyer of the Avenger's Tower. "I can't believe you talked me into coming to New York with you," she said, looking around herself in awe. "And I can't believe you live in a place like this. It's amazing."

Thor nodded and smiled. "Tis no Asgardian palace, but you shall want for nothing, Jane Foster." He drew her closer to his side as they stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut. "And I do not remember you being very hard to convince to travel with me," he said huskily as he bent down towards her.

Jane couldn't help but melt at the first touch of Thor's lips to her own. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind and her head was still spinning. Thor's unexpected appearance in her apartment had just brought everything she'd been trying to be sensible about hurtling back to her. Theirs was by no means a usual courtship but that was probably to be expected with demi-gods falling from the heavens at your feet. Thor's promise to never leave her again had Jane daring to hope there was a real future for them. When he'd said he needed to return to New York and be with the Avengers, he begged her to come with him. As it turned out at the time, semi-naked blonde gods were pretty hard to say no to when he'd asked her last night. Who knew? Darcy had practically shooed Jane out the door with threats against her life and everyone she'd ever loved if Jane didn't fill her in on everything that happened in minute detail next time they spoke. Jane was quickly forgetting where they were and she forced herself to pull back and sent him a regretful look. "I don't want to look like we've been kissing when I meet the others," she explained, a little embarrassed and definitely flushed.

Thor just smiled and looked down at her adoringly as he gently nudged her nose with his. "Then thy should not cast such enchantments upon me, Jane Foster," he admonished her huskily.

Jane felt her knees go a little weak at being looked at and spoken to in such a way. If this didn't work out between them, Jane was pretty certain Thor had just about ruined her for every other man on the planet. She tried to calm herself down, not wanting to meet the rest of the Avengers looking like a flustered mess, particularly when it was obvious Thor had a great amount of affection for them. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Are you sure that it's okay for me to just turn up like this?" she quizzed him unsteadily. "I don't want to be an imposition."

"You impose on no one, Jane," Thor reassured her. "The only imposition there could be if you were not by my side." He smiled. "Besides, Tony Stark enjoys an audience, the larger the better."

"What's he like?" she asked curiously. "I mean, I've seen all the things on the TV about him and everything and of course the Iron Man stuff, but what is he like in real life?"

Thor looked to be thinking about that for a moment. "I am not sure if he is a wise man who plays the fool, or a fool who plays at being wise."

"Oh." That didn't really help Jane out and she was a little intimidated meeting billionaires and legends from the past. Not to mention giant green monsters.

"He is most excitable and talks greatly about things of which I have little understanding," continued on Thor. He smiled. "But he is a generous host and I believe, a good man."

"You like him," said Jane, reassured somewhat.

"I have never met a man of his like in all the realms I have visited and yes, there is much to be enjoyed about Tony Stark." He gave a lop-sided smile. "And tolerated."

"I've seen him on TV," observed Jane. "He seems to have a very big personality."

"Aye, more than one, truth be told," said Thor wryly.

"What are the other's like?"

"Steve Rogers has a true heart and a noble spirit," said Thor thoughtfully. "Bruce Banner is wise and calming."

Jane moved a little restlessly by Thor's side. "And umm, the other part of Doctor Banner, you know, the Hulk?" It was hard not to be more than a little worried about the thought of meeting the person who had the rampaging monster she'd seen on TV news reports inside of him.

She must not have done a good job at hiding her anxiousness, because Thor immediately moved to comfort her. "I would not bring you into harm's way," he promised her seriously. "While Bruce does not trust the beast within, I do, because the same heart beats in both Bruce and the Hulk and that is a good heart. I have seen the creature with the maiden Potts and he is most accommodating."

It was on the tip of Jane's tongue to ask what an accommodating Hulk would look like but then wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question. "What's Natasha like?" she asked instead. Jane had seen pictures of the gorgeous spy and it was hard to imagine any man not falling for her instantly. She watched Thor's face intently as he replied, searching for any hint of attraction for the other woman, but there was none.

"She is a mighty warrior, fearless in battle and quick on her feet. She speaks little but I suspect thinks deeply."

Jane couldn't help herself. "Do you think she's beautiful?"

"Aye," said Thor without hesitation, "she is most comely and no hardship on the eyes."

Jane grimaced. Well, she'd asked.

Thor took Jane's hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the soft skin on the back. "But she is no Jane Foster," he said softly, eyes locking with hers. "You have no need for doubts, Jane. No person in this realm or any other holds my affections and heart the way you do. There is only you, there has always only been you, even before we met."

Jane bit her bottom lip and fought back emotional tears. Damn, she didn't think she was this kind of woman, but maybe it was all about these things being said by the right man that was bringing her so undone. "I-I feel the same way," she admitted shyly.

Thor's eyes flared in approval. "I wish to meet the rest of your family, as you shall meet mine," he said firmly. "I do not wish for there to be any impedance for us to be as one. I know that in this realm, families can plot to keep people apart with falsehoods, evil twins, feigned deaths and the like. I do not want that for us, Jane Foster."

Jane fought back a smile at how serious Thor was being. She'd worked out pretty quickly that Thor seemed to have gained most of his knowledge of human romantic drama from some kind of soap opera. It was just too cute, even though Jane still wasn't sure where the orang-utan fitted in. Perhaps he watched old re-runs of Passions, she seemed to remember an orang-utan in that. However, as endearing as it was, she couldn't let Thor go on thinking that the kind of carry on in those soaps was in anyway how life really worked. They stepped out of the elevator and Thor guided her down the corridor as she looked up at him. "You know, Thor, real life doesn't have evil twins, nefarious family plots or even ridiculously complicated misunderstandings creating angst for a couple," she said gently. "Those things only happen in soap operas, not real life." They walked through the door into a room which looked like a large media room as Jane finished saying that, just in time to witness an amazing sight.

Jane recognised most of the people in the room from all of the media coverage of the Avengers. Bruce Banner was sitting in a sofa, with Clint Barton perched on the arm rest beside him. Behind them was Steve Rogers and Tony Stark and they were facing a woman Jane recognised as Pepper Potts and she was flanked by three men who looked like CIA agents. They'd obviously just walked in on the middle of something because all hell promptly broke loose.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Tony roared and launched himself across the room, over the top of the sofa and a startled Bruce before throwing himself on top of the blonde man in the dark suit standing to one side of Pepper. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU GOT MY GIRLFRIEND PREGNANT!"

"Tony stop it!" yelled Pepper in shock. "What are you doing?!" She gasped and then looked even more shocked and mad. "Wait, you've got a pregnant girlfriend? Since when?! Who is she?! You BASTARD!"

No one was answering Pepper's question as the room simultaneously erupted into chaos as Tony started punching at the blonde man who had recovered from his shock quickly and was trying to defend himself. The other men in the room descended on them and attempted to pull them apart.

"I'm gay!" the man underneath Tony was yelling as he tried to get away from Tony's furious attacks. "I'm GAY!"

Jane's large brown eyes were wide open as she took in the melodramatic scene in front of her. "Then again, this is New York, so I guess all bets are off."


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N****: Hey guys, took longer to get this done then I'd like – work has been crazy busy, not much time for the muse and I to get some work down. **

**I feel like this chapter is a bit anti-climatic, but I couldn't seem to help it. I'm hopeful to have the next chapter up tomorrow for you. We're getting close to the big show down now, guys, hope I can do it justice. **

**Toodles...**

**Chapter Fifty- Four**

Three minutes earlier:

Pepper smiled Clint and Bruce as she walked into the room, Lewis, Cody and John bringing up the rear as always. "How are you settling in, Clint?" she asked politely. "Is there anything you need at all?"

Clint shook his head. "No, the apartment is amazing. It's a definite step up."

"Good, we want you to be comfortable here."

"I am, now that I've stopped peeing blood," said Clint straight-faced.

Pepper wrinkled her nose prettily. "Tony is really sorry about that strawberry thing."

"You don't have to apologise for him," Clint pointed out.

"Force of habit," she said ruefully. "It was my job for twelve years."

"Now you're together officially, it's going to be your job for the rest of your life," pointed out Bruce from the sofa. "Only you don't get paid for it."

Pepper just smiled. "Oh, don't worry, Tony pays, one way or the other, he pays."

Clint chuckled. "I'm so happy to hear that."

Pepper laughed. "Besides, I feel like the strawberry thing was indirectly my fault anyway. Tony was on a mission to stop me being allergic to them and with the tampering he did with them, he discovered that he'd made this powerful narcotic in strawberry form."

"That doesn't mean he should use it on people," said Clint dryly.

Pepper sighed. "When Tony gets an idea in his head, he kind of just runs with it, hence the giant hamster ball in the lab."

Clint's lips twitched. "Not buying into the safety pod line, huh?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Not in the least. I'm just letting him get it out of his system but that man truly is insane if he thinks for one moment I'd even consider getting into it."

Bruce smiled. "I wouldn't rule out the insanity, Pepper, particularly not now, with what is going on with you two."

Pepper opened her mouth to ask what Bruce meant by that but then Tony was hurrying into the room with Steve behind him. His expression was tense. "Pepper, we need to talk."

She frowned, concerned by how serious Tony sounded. "What's wrong, Tony?"

Tony looked around at the others. "In private, we need to talk in private about the baby."

"Baby?" repeated Clint in surprise. "There's a baby?"

"Yes," said Tony grimly.

Lewis stepped up from behind Pepper and looked a little confused. "Are we talking about my baby here?" he quizzed Tony.

Tony's face tightened. "What?"

Steve looked dumb founded. "I don't believe it."

"There's more than one baby?" Clint asked, trying to catch up.

Bruce frowned. "I don't know now, I'm getting confused."

"So am I," said Pepper and tilted her head at Tony. "Why do you want to talk about Lewis' baby, Tony?"

"And shouldn't I be involved if you are?" offered up Lewis.

Tony's face flushed red in rage. "SON OF A BITCH!" he roared and then leapt over the sofa and crash tackled Lewis to the ground. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU GOT MY GIRLFRIEND PREGNANT!"

John grabbed Pepper's arm and pulled her out of the way of the flailing men, automatically doing his job as Cody stepped up and put himself between them and Tony and Lewis.

"Tony stop it!" yelled Pepper in shock. "What are you doing?!" Her heart was in her mouth over Tony's wild actions and then his words sank in. She gasped, a white hot jealousy shooting through her entire body."Wait, you've got a pregnant girlfriend? Since when?! Who is she?! You BASTARD!"

Tony wasn't able to answer as he and Lewis rolled around on the floor. The others ran in to pull them apart as Pepper reeled, trying to collect her thoughts.

"I'm gay, I'm GAY!" Lewis tried to protest as he clearly didn't want to hit Tony but when Tony punched him in the mouth, he reacted, punching Tony right back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper saw Thor and who she assumed was Jane Foster walk into the scene. The young woman looked taken aback. "But then again, this is New York, so I guess all bets are off," Pepper heard her say over the melee.

By now Steve and Bruce had managed to drag Tony off of Lewis, who had scrambled to his feet and was glaring at Tony. "What the hell?" asked Lewis in annoyance, grimacing as he touched his split lip.

"Don't play the innocent with me, Martin," Tony barked out. "I know what you've done!"

Clint raised his hand. "I don't, so I wouldn't mind some cliff notes to this little debacle if they're on offer."

Pepper put her hands on her hips and gave Tony a stern look. "I think that's a very good idea, Clint," she said sharply. "Why don't we start with this pregnant girlfriend, Tony?" Pepper knew Tony wouldn't have just made an announcement like that and intentionally hurt her, so clearly there had to be more in play here. At least, there had better be.

Tony shook off Bruce and Steve and gave her a confused look. "It's you, of course."

"How can it be me?" Pepper argued. "I'm not pregnant."

"Yes, you are," said Tony hotly.

"No, I'm not," she threw back at him.

"Why are you lying?" asked Tony in distress. "Pepper, we've talked about this."

Pepper's eyes narrowed as she looked him over. "Are you drunk?"

"No," said Tony indignantly. He scowled at Lewis. "Believe me, I wish I was."

"What's with the stink eye?" Lewis protested. "What exactly have I done?"

"Oh, like you don't know, Mr. I'm Gay," said Tony bitterly.

"I am gay," said Lewis flatly.

"Not gay enough it seems," bit out Tony angrily.

"Lewis is gay?" repeated Steve in a quiet aside to Clint and Bruce.

Clint nodded. "That's the only thing I'm fairly certain of right now," he agreed. "The rest is a complete mystery to me."

"He doesn't look gay," Steve whispered.

Clint's lips quirked as he looked at Steve. "And what does gay look like?" he quizzed him in amusement.

Steve's brow furrowed. "I don't know," he admitted slowly.

Pepper was beginning to piece things together, but the puzzle still made no sense. She tried to get to the bottom of this all. "Tony, I'm not pregnant," she insisted.

"I found the positive pregnancy kit," said Tony stubbornly. "_Someone_ is pregnant and it's not me."

"That was Lewis' positive test," said Pepper in exasperation.

Tony folded his arms in front of his chest, lips thinning. "I don't care how gay the guy claims to be, he's not _that_ gay."

"It _was_ my pregnancy test," interjected Lewis.

Tony arched a disbelieving eyebrow. "Then I have completely misunderstood where babies come from," he said defiantly.

Lewis just stared him down. "My partner, Greg, and I are having a baby. We've been trying for a long time, and now we've finally pregnant."

Steve leaned towards Bruce, not taking his eyes off the dramatic standoff in front of him. "I have questions," he hissed.

Bruce gave a long-suffering sigh. "I'll explain later."

Thor scratched his cheek. "I did not know that the men of this realm could bear children," he remarked thoughtfully.

Clint looked amused. "Looks like you've got another student for your sex ed class, Bruce," he commented.

Lewis looked at Thor. "We're not having the baby," he explained to the other man. "Greg's sister has donated an egg and is going to carry the child for us. It's called surrogacy."

Steve pursed his lips, eyes still on the tableau in front of him. "I still have questions," he whispered to Bruce.

"Oh my," breathed Jane, "I take it all back," she said quietly to Thor, "this is _exactly_ like a soap opera."

Tony held up his hands. "Hold on, hold on, are you telling me you're not pregnant, Pepper?"

Pepper's jaw hardened as she realised that Tony had thought she'd been pregnant with Lewis' baby. The nerve of the man. "No."

Tony's eyes widened. "So, you _are_ pregnant?" he asked unevenly.

"I mean, no, I'm not pregnant," she said sharply.

Bruce shook his head. "Double negatives, always tricky."

Tony looked like all the wind had been taken out of his sails. "What," he said shakily, "not even a little bit?"

"What does a little bit pregnant look like, Tony?" she demanded in annoyance.

"I don't know," said Tony vaguely, still looking to be in shock. "I can't believe this." He gave her a desperate look. "But we talked about it, we talked about our baby."

Pepper gritted her teeth as another piece fell into place. "The baby I was talking about was the Chinese deal. I've brokered a multi-million dollar deal with the Chinese, that was the baby I thought you were talking about."

"But-but you never said that," Tony protested.

"You told me you'd found out about it when you went snooping in my office," Pepper reminded him.

"I found the pregnancy test in your office," Tony clarified.

Pepper closed her eyes. "This is unbelievable."

"To say the least," Clint chimed in.

Tony frowned. "So, we're definitely sure here, just to clarify, no one in this room is pregnant?"

"I'm not," offered up Jane. She looked around at the others. "If that helps."

Pepper glared at him. "I'm not saying it again."

Tony fixed a bright smile on his face. "Okay, then, that's sorted. Good to know. I'll see you all later." He turned around and seemed to be intent on leaving.

"Oh no, you don't, Tony Stark," said Pepper sternly. "Are you kidding me?"

Tony turned around and gave her an innocent look. "What?"

"You just came in here and accused me of getting pregnant by another man and you think you can just walk away from that?" she said in disbelief.

"I didn't accuse you of anything," Tony protested.

"You didn't have to," said Pepper angrily. "You just basically inferred I was a whore in front of everyone!"

"I never did!" Tony gasped in outrage. "A whore gets paid, I always assumed you were doing it for free."

Bruce put his hand to his face and shook his head. "Wow, just wow."

Tony looked stricken. "That came out wrong, that wasn't what I meant, Pepper," he said hastily.

"And the award for understatement of the year goes to Tony Stark," announced Clint dryly.

Pepper was so angry she couldn't see straight. She jabbed a finger at Tony. "This isn't over," she threatened him. With that Pepper turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, just needing some space right then. Her innate manners had her stopping as she came to Jane. She pushed down her rage and smiled pleasantly at the other woman. "You must be Jane, welcome. Thor has talked so much about you, we're all thrilled to have you with us. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." She held out a hand to her. "I'm Pepper, by the way."

Jane tentatively took her hand. "Hello, Pepper, nice to meet you."

"I'm sorry you had to walk in on Tony being an ass, but seeing as he's one quite regularly, your chances we're pretty good," Pepper apologised, refusing to look at Tony.

"Hey," came a wounded sounding Tony from behind her.

Pepper heard Steve give Tony some sound advice. "Shut up."

"This is all your fault, you know," Tony accused the other man.

"How is it my fault?" asked an outraged Steve.

"You should have stopped me making an ass of myself."

"There is no super serum in the world capable of that feat!"

"Just calm down, you two," Bruce advised them.

"And you!" said Tony tersely. "You were no help at all!"

"I didn't turn into a giant rage monster and kill everyone in the room," pointed out Bruce calmly. "Some might consider that helpful."

Pepper didn't turn around at the bickering, just smiled at Jane. "We'll have lunch one day soon and get to know one another," she informed the other woman. "It'll be fun." With that Pepper continued on her way out of the room, refraining from slamming doors as she went, not wanting to give Tony the satisfaction.

"Pepper?" Tony called out after her. "Don't you think we should talk about this?"

"No," she ground out and just kept walking. She was too mad to be reasonable right now and this whole situation needed some reason and until she could bring that to the table, Pepper had a strong sense that distance was what was needed right now.


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N****: Took an extra day to get this chapter done, sorry. Late shift always screws around with my schedule. . **

**So, there is this chapter, one more where we sort everything out (most likely a pretty big one knowing me and what I have to get through) and then the showdown is here! Pretty nervous about writing it because it's going to be a very complicated series of scenes which hopefully won't read that way if I get it right. **

**Never mind, that's a problem for another day, in the meantime, lets lay down a few more plot details, shall we? :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Five**

Tony walked out from the elevator into the underground garage area and looked around. He saw Happy with his head under the hood of the Rolls and walked up to him.

Happy didn't look up as he approached. "I hear you took being a jerk to a whole new level today," he commented, still tinkering with motor.

Tony grimaced, he supposed he deserved that. "What version did you hear?"

Happy glanced at him. "Is there a version where you don't accuse Pepper of having an affair with another man and getting pregnant?"

Tony looked pensive. "In my head there is."

"Your head is not a safe place to be," noted Happy. "How could you think Pepper would cheat on you? Everyone knows you're the weak link in this chain, not Pepper."

"I guess I may have gone a little bit crazy," Tony admitted. He was still trying to come to terms with what had just happened and he was a mixture of too many emotions to possibly start naming them. All he really knew was that he'd hurt Pepper and the thought made his insides curl up and want to die.

"That's like Pompeii had a little bit of a volcano problem," said Happy wryly.

"I can't help it when it comes to Pepper," said Tony unevenly.

"So, that's what you're going with, temporary insanity?"

Tony sent him a hopeful look. "Do you think it'll work?"

"You can only use that excuse so often before it becomes just plain old permanent insanity."

"It was an honest mistake," Tony protested.

Happy sent him a judgemental look. "One only you could make."

Tony's shoulders sagged. "I messed up."

"Big time."

"I need to talk to Pepper," Tony sighed.

"She's not here," Happy pointed out.

"I wanted to talk to Lewis first, clear the air and at least show Pepper I'm trying to make amends."

Happy inclined his head, looking over Tony's shoulder. "Well, here's your chance, boss. Don't screw it up."

Tony turned around to Lewis walking up to them. "There you are, I was looking for you, Lewis."

"Why, are you planning on accusing me on getting Happy pregnant now?" asked Lewis dourly.

"I may have jumped the gun on that one," Tony admitted.

"Shark," interceded Happy, "he means jumped the shark."

"Shut up, Happy, you weren't there, you don't know," said Tony in annoyance. He looked back at Lewis. "Anyways, all I wanted to say was that things were said, faces were punched, who's to say who was really in the wrong here?"

"It was you," said Lewis without hesitation. "You were in the wrong."

"Sure," said Tony blithely, "that's one interpretation of what happened, one of many I might add but the important thing is there are no hard feelings."

Lewis looked at Happy. "Is this an apology? I can't tell."

Happy nodded. "It's Tony's version of an apology."

Tony scowled at Happy. "I don't need the peanut gallery."

"Agreed," said Happy easily. "It could be argued you've already got the nuts thing well and truly covered."

"It's Pepper's fault," Tony grumbled. "I can't think straight around her. Anything to do with her and I lose all of my faculties."

Lewis was looking at him intently. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Yes," said Tony unhappily, "you wouldn't understand."

Lewis half-smiled. "Before I met Greg I was quite the party guy. I was up for anything, anytime, anywhere and that was all I thought I wanted from life. Then I met Greg and everything changed. Here was someone I actually loved more than myself and it scared the hell out of me. I felt so out of control around him and yeah, I made some big, stupid mistakes when it came to our relationship."

"Did you ever accuse him of getting pregnant with another man's baby?" asked Tony hopefully. Misery, after all, did love company.

"Strangely enough that never came up," said a straight-faced Lewis. "But a lot of other things did, like all these trust issues and what I found out was that they were more about me then Greg. We worked through all of those things together, but yeah, for a while there, I was a jealous fool when it came to him. I get what you're saying about loving someone so much you can't see straight."

"Tell me it gets better," Tony begged him. "Tell me I won't keep screwing up like this."

"A good relationship can absorb screw ups," said Lewis philosophically, "because at the end of the day, neither one of you are going to be perfect."

That actually made sense to Tony. Damn, now he actually liked the guy. That was annoying.

"But Pepper is always going to be more perfect then you," Happy offered up.

"Obviously," agreed Lewis.

"This pep talk could have been peppier," Tony grumbled.

"Your way of getting to the bottom of things could be less punchy," Lewis countered. He touched his lip and grimaced.

Tony pursed his lips. "I can see that now."

"What are you going to tell, Pepper?" Happy asked him.

"I've discovered thinking about things when it comes to her doesn't work for me," said Tony decisively. "I'm just going to wing it. Go with my gut."

Happy nodded. "I'll get the guest room ready."

Tony pouted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. What makes you so sure Pepper is going to kick me out?"

"Law of averages."

"You're fired."

Happy looked unfazed. "Another day, another pink slip. I'll add it to my collection." He looked at Lewis. "I'm wallpapering my second bedroom with them."

Tony looked at Lewis intently. "I guess this wasn't exactly what you signed up for."

"I figured when you made me go two rounds with Iron Man's repulsor blasts for the job interview that this wasn't going to be a routine job," said Lewis dryly. "I'm staying, if that was what you're asking. I really like Pepper, plus the job security with a baby on the way is a big bonus."

Tony grinned, relieved to hear that. It might annoy him that Lewis and his team never took orders directly from him, but he didn't doubt their dedication to their job of protecting Pepper, and ultimately that was all that mattered to Tony. "You'll always have a job here, Lewis, no matter what."

"Unless he fires you," offered up Happy wryly.

"Don't make me re-hire you so I can fire you again," Tony warned him.

"Why are you here firing me every five minutes when you should be with Pepper?" Happy quizzed him. "You need to get your priorities straight, boss."

"Firing you is easier then talking to Pepper," Tony rationalised.

"Since when have you ever been about the easy way?" Happy returned.

Tony squared his shoulders. "I need to talk to Pepper," he said determinedly. He had to get this sorted out because he was going to be no use to anyone until he did. Plus the thought of Pepper being mad at him just had Tony in a panic. He needed to fix this and he needed to do it fast.

**oooOOOOooo**

After all of the drama upstairs, Steve needed to clear his head. He couldn't help but feel a little badly about the misunderstandings, despite his protestations of innocence to Tony. He'd known something was off about the whole thing, but he hadn't been able to work out what in time. Steve hoped that Tony and Pepper would be able to work it out. He didn't want to think about what Tony without Pepper by his side would be like. Not good seemed like the understatement of the century. He walked into the foyer just as Maggie walked through the sliding doors. Steve stopped short and smiled at her. "Hi."

"Hi," returned Maggie huskily, "going out?"

"Just for a walk."

"You and your walks."

"Yeah, me and my walks." He hesitated. "Ah, Maggie, about yesterday. I really hope you didn't take things the wrong way. I appreciate your zeal on my behalf, I really do. It's just I've already found where I belong."

Maggie walked up to him. "I can see that and I think it's great." She put her hands on his chest. "It's always a good thing to know what you want."

Unexpectedly Maggie leaned into Steve and went up on her tip toes, kissing him on the mouth. Steve made a little gasp of shock which allowed Maggie's tongue to find its way into his mouth. He stiffened in surprise, not knowing what to do as she attempted to deepen the kiss even more. This was nothing like his kiss with Peggy and the confusion of being kissed by a woman who looked like Peggy but wasn't had Steve pulling back. He looked down at her with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry."

Maggie dropped back down to the ground and looked uncertain. "Oh, I thought-" she hesitated, "I thought we were going somewhere with this."

Steve felt really bad now. "Maggie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lead you on."

She frowned. "Is it me? I'm too pushy, aren't I?"

Steve quickly shook his head. "No, it's not you, it's me, Maggie." It seemed Maggie had this ability to put things in perspective for him. Kissing her had been nothing like kissing Peggy and Steve realised that despite his speech that morning, a part of him had still been holding onto the past, and more specifically Peggy. Maggie wasn't Peggy and Steve knew he had to except that he was never going to see the ballsy, take no prisoners, Peggy Carter again. It hurt, but he couldn't run from that fact anymore. "I don't want to offend you, Maggie, but being with you feels like I'm going backwards rather than forwards."

Maggie's eyebrows arched as she processed that. "Lucky me that you weren't trying to be offensive, I guess."

Steve grimaced. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right."

"It's alright, Steve," said Maggie reassuring. "You know, I think we both got what we needed from this relationship at the time, brief as it may have been. Now we can just both forward. I think that's a good thing."

"Thank you for being so understanding," said Steve gratefully.

"No, Steve," said Maggie huskily, "thank you." She held out her hand to him. "Friends?"

Steve quickly took it and shook her hand. "Of course, friends."

As they shook hands, Natasha walked in from the street. She looked them over calmly. "Hello, Maggie, Steve."

"Natasha," said Maggie brightly, "it's good to see you."

Natasha's expression didn't change. "Is it?"

"Of course," Maggie laughed, "why wouldn't it be?" She glanced down at her watch. "Sorry, I have to go. I hate to kiss and run but I've got a meeting to get to." Maggie smile at them both. "Bye." She reached out and squeezed Steve's arm in a special goodbye. "Thank you, Steve, for everything."

Steve wasn't exactly sure what she was thanking him for. "You're welcome," he replied politely and then Maggie was hurrying off out of the foyer and into the New York hustle and bustle outside.

Natasha arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. "Kiss and run?"

Steve tried hard not to blush. "Um, yes."

"So, you're kissing Maggie now." It wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact.

"She kissed me," clarified Steve hastily.

"Is that important, who kissed who?"

Natasha was regarding him with those intense blue eyes of hers and Steve never knew what she was seeing when she looked at people that way. "Yes, I didn't want to kiss Maggie."

"Even though she looks exactly like Peggy Carter?"

Steve's eyes went a little wide. "How-you knew about that?"

"I made it a point to read everyone's files," she said simply.

Steve knew the same option was open to him, but he preferred to make his judgments on people based on who he saw in front of him, rather than notes on a page. Either way wasn't wrong, but just probably spoke more to the different kinds of people they were. "And I didn't want to kiss Maggie because she does look exactly like Peggy."

Natasha's sharp blue gaze was on him. "Then where does that leave things between you and Maggie?"

Steve suddenly realised something. "You don't like her, do you?"

"Let's just say I don't like coincidences," returned Natasha.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning when a woman the spitting image of Peggy Carter just happens to cross paths with you, it raises a few questions."

Steve frowned, already having had those questions but not willing to admit it. "They say everyone has a doppelganger in the world," he said a little defensively.

"They also say keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"That's not what I'm doing," Steve argued.

"I wasn't talking about you," she said pointedly.

"Do you think Maggie is playing me?" The thought unsettled Steve. He always dealt straight with people and expected the same in return. Maybe it was old-fashioned, but that was who he was.

Natasha moved her shoulders a little. "I think her timing is interesting."

"You know, you don't always have to think the worst of people."

"It's gotten me this far," she countered.

"You don't trust my judgement on this?"

She sent him a pointed look. "Do you?"

Damn, the woman was perceptive. "It doesn't matter now," said Steve quickly. "Maggie and I aren't taking things any further."

"And she was fine with that?"

"Yes."

Natasha looked thoughtful. "Mmm."

"What does that mean?"

"I guess we'll find out," she said simply. Natasha looked him over. "Are you coming in or about to leave?"

Steve glanced upwards and grimaced. "Ah, well, things are a bit tense upstairs right now."

"Why, what happened?"

Steve hesitated. "If I told you, I'm not sure you'd believe me. I was there and I'm not sure I believe it, plus, I'm not the best person to ask, because I've still got a lot of technical questions to ask."

Natasha was looking at him oddly. "Um, okay."

"I'm going out," said Steve decisively, suddenly knowing exactly where he wanted to be.

"Good luck with that," she commented, and continued on towards the elevator.

Steve smiled and hurried outside, heading to the outside entrance to the garage. Once there he headed directly towards his motor bike. As Steve climbed onto his motor bike, he was unaware of the microscopic nano-bots invading his blood cells. Delivered by Maggie's kiss, the nano-bots had been absorbed into his lungs before moving into his blood stream. The busy little bees flooded Steve's body, his heart pumping the infected red blood cells around his body as he started his bike. Steve drove out of the garage, oblivious to the new passengers hitching a ride with him and unaware of their deadly intent.

**oooOOOOooo**

Fury walked in on Agent Coulson as the other man was hunched over a computer desk, absorbed in the images in front of him. "Report," he demanded.

Coulson didn't take his eyes off the screen as he watched a speeded up version of CCTV footage. "Sir, I was thinking, seeing as all of this had to be planned well in advance of Hammer's release from prison, I thought that maybe he and Ghost might have met up while he was still locked up. I'm reviewing all the footage of Hammer during his eight month incarceration and seeing who he talked to, what visitors he had and maybe I can get a bead on Ghost that way."

"Long shot," Fury commented.

"At this point in time, that's all we've got when it comes to Ghost, sir," conceded Coulson in frustration. "This guy is good." He paused. "Which makes him bad."

Fury studied Coulson's profile, noting how tired he looked. "You know you don't have to be doing this, Agent Coulson, you're still on down time from your injury."

Coulson didn't look up. "I know, sir, but this is about the Avengers and I had a stake in them long before there was an Avengers, so I'm staying."

Fury hid a smile, admiring the other man's quite determination. Before he could comment though he received a phone call, answering it in his usual terse fashion. "Fury." He listened intently, jaw hardening. "Where... how long do we have... has this been confirmed?" Fury listened to the information and then hung up.

Coulson was looking up at him, clearly recognising the seriousness in his tone. "Sir?"

"We have a situation," said Fury grimly. His jaw hardened. "It's time for the Avengers to get off the bench."

Coulson smiled. "I think they're going to like that, sir."


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N****: My apologies everyone for taking so long to do the next update but I've just finished a 2 week straight stint at work and yesterday the muse and I collapsed in a heap with exhaustion. We're still not 100% today, but we did manage to get this chapter done. I don't know how good it is but it's done at least. **

**Another apology because I said the next chapter would get us to the action, but this Pepperony scene got too big, so we're going to have one more chapter before the action (hopefully posting tomorrow) and then we'll be bringing this big boy home. ;) **

**Thank you again for reading and all of your amazing comments. I haven't been able to reply to many due to time constraints and general brain fatigue, but I treasure every one of them. You're all brilliant, as are all the people who fave this story. Thank you so much. **

**Okay, on to the next chapter and (hopefully) see you soon...**

**Chapter Fifty- Six**

Tony walked into his and Pepper's apartment and looked around. Jarvis had told him that was where Pepper was, so he continued on walking. There was a knot in his stomach which Tony knew wouldn't go away until he'd made everything right between them. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to do that, but it was the only thing that mattered right then. Tony walked into the bedroom and came to an abrupt halt, the colour draining from his face. "What are you doing?" he rasped.

Pepper didn't turn round, just continued packing her suitcase, slim shoulders tense. "I can't talk to you right now, Tony. I'm still really mad at you."

Tony covered the distance between them and slammed the suitcase shut, making Pepper take a surprised step back. "You can't leave me!" he blurted out in a panic.

Pepper's lips thinned in annoyance. "I'm not leaving you," she told him flatly.

Tony looked down at the closed suitcase, trying to process. "Am I leaving then?" he asked uncertainly. _Damn, turns out Happy might be right about the dog house thing._

"I've got a trip to Beijing tomorrow," Pepper said shortly. "There are some more details to tie up with this business deal."

"But you're coming back, right?" asked Tony hesitantly.

"Of course I'm coming back," said Pepper tersely, pushing Tony out of the way to open the suitcase again and continue filling it with clothes.

The knot in Tony's stomach relaxed, just a little. He watched Pepper's stony profile as she continued to pack. "You're still mad, aren't you?"

Pepper's head snapped round to glare at him. She opened her mouth but then closed it again, jaw tense as she returned to her packing.

"You're doing it wrong," Tony advised her.

"I'll pack how I want," she snapped.

"I mean the being mad thing," he qualified. "You're doing it wrong. Why aren't you shouting at me?"

"Because I'm too mad to fight with you," replied Pepper tightly, still not looking at him as she packed.

Tony was confused. "I don't think you understand how fighting works, Pep. Being mad is kind of the point." He hated this deathly quiet between them, it wasn't how they did things and it made him nervous.

"Tony, I'm so mad right now if I start screaming I may never stop and say some things which aren't going to be helpful." Pepper finally looked at him, blue fire sparking in her eyes. "And you've already covered that ground when you called me a whore in front of all of our friends, oh wait, a whore who does it for free, that was your take on things, wasn't it?"

"I was confused and upset," Tony said hastily. "I didn't know what I was saying."

"Why were you upset?" she snapped at him. "I was the one you were insulting."

"I was dealing with a lot of stuff all at once," Tony tried to explain. "Thinking you were pregnant had me all tied up in knots."

Pepper turned to glare at him. "Then you should have come to talk to me about it," she said angrily. "That's how a relationship works."

"I thought I did talk to you about it," Tony protested. "But it turns out we were talking about different things." He gave her a pointed look. "You know, you usually can decipher what I'm talking about Pepper, so when you think about it, you've really dropped the ball on this one."

Her expression hardened. "Get out," she ground out.

"I wasn't judging you," said Tony hastily, sensing he'd made a mistake.

"Well, aren't I the lucky one," said a sarcastic Pepper. "Get out!"

Pepper shoved on his chest, backing him up and before Tony knew what was happening, he was suddenly outside the bedroom and having the door slammed in his face. He winced at the force with which Pepper closed the door. Somehow, he'd managed to make this worse. "Pepper, please, can't we just talk?" he pleaded with her. There was no answer from the other side of the door. "Alright, I'll talk then, you listen."

"Because that has worked out so well for you so far, right?"

Tony ignored the sarcasm and took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. He leaned his forehead on the bedroom door and spoke from his heart and just prayed he wasn't going to say something stupid in the process. "When I thought you were pregnant I panicked," Tony confessed. "I was so scared what that meant for us. There were so many things that could go wrong with you or the baby and I had no control over that. And then there was the whole thing of the baby actually being born. What the hell do I know about being a father? I was terrified that I was going to screw our kid up and you'd both hate me forever and I wouldn't be able to live with that. I know I'm making this baby thing all about me, but that was how I was feeling but I didn't want you to know I was being an ass, so I tried to be supportive but then things got a little out of control." Tony closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Pepper. You know I wouldn't hurt you for anything but I kind of lost my mind. I always lose my mind when it comes to you."

He couldn't think of anything else to say, just strained his ears to try and hear something on the other side of the door. Tony didn't even know if Pepper was listening, and if she was, did she even care after what he'd done? He groaned internally as the silence between them lengthened and leant a little harder on the door, fighting back despair. What if he'd broken something between them irreversibly? What if this was it. Tony's desperate questions to himself were abruptly interrupted as he felt himself suddenly falling. Pepper had unexpectedly opened the door and Tony wasn't ready for it. As most of his weight was on the door, when it was opened, he couldn't stop himself from falling flat on his face at Pepper's feet.

"Tony!" she gasped in surprise.

"I'm okay," came Tony's muffled reply as he lay face down in the carpet. "Don't worry."

"I wasn't."

Tony rolled over and cautiously looked up at Pepper, trying to read her expression.

"Get up, Tony."

Tony frowned, unable to put together what Pepper was feeling by looking at her. "If you're planning on hitting me, I think I'd rather stay here if it's all the same to you. Less distance to fall."

Pepper gave him an exasperated look. "I'm not going to hit you." She knelt down beside him. "Even though you deserve it."

"If it makes you feel better, Lewis took care of that for you," said Tony, grimacing a little as his bruised cheek continued to ache.

"It does make me feel better," Pepper acknowledged.

"You hate me," said Tony in defeat.

"I don't hate you, Tony," said Pepper quietly. "I could never hate you. I dislike strongly some of the choices you make, but that's different." She looked at him soberly. "Did you mean what you said?"

"No," said Tony hastily, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her earnestly. "I in no way think you're a whore, paid or otherwise."

"Not that, idiot," she said in annoyance. "I mean about what you just said then, about how you felt when you thought I was pregnant?"

"I know it doesn't make me seem very noble," said Tony unhappily, "but yes, that's how I felt."

"Alright, that's fine, I understand you feeling all of those things, but how do you get from being worried about being a father to thinking I'm having an affair?" she asked helplessly. "How can you not know me better than that?"

Tony's tone was urgent. "I do know you better than that, Pepper."

"Then how could you think that?" Pepper argued.

Tony closed his eyes and groaned. "Because it's you." He tried to explain. "It's like when I would drink. There was always this point in the night, day, whatever, where I knew the next drink would be one drink too many and then I'd have this little voice screaming in my head to go for it anyway and I would and then everything would go to hell and I'd wake up naked in someone's Jacuzzi in Palm Beach with no idea how I got there or what I did. That little voice in my head is like my self-destruct button and it overrides all my other senses. It was like that with you. I knew I was making a mistake in even entertaining the thought that you'd be unfaithful to me, but that self-destruct button was pushed and I couldn't let it go, it just overtook me and then suddenly I'm punching a gay guy in my living room and hurting you." Tony gave Pepper an emotional look. "And I can't bear the thought I hurt you, Pepper."

"Oh, Tony," she sighed, shaking her head at him.

"I don't want to disappoint you, Pepper," he said quietly. "I mean, I know I disappoint you all the time with standing you up, not doing things you want me to do when you ask, taking too many risks, driving my car too fast, not caring about the business, doing paint ball practice with the newest Jackson Pollock painting you bought for the collection-"

"Wait, what?" asked a startled Pepper.

"Nothing, that didn't happen, not even a little bit," said Tony hastily and quickly tried to move on. "My point is, Pep, I know I let you down and you can't always rely on me but I wanted you to know that when it comes to the big stuff, I'm in, one hundred percent, no questions asked."

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "Was this your version of being all in?"

Tony pulled a face. "Needs work?"

"Needs a _lot_ of work," she confirmed but then smiled.

Tony felt like the sun had come out from behind a dark cloud and felt some of the tension ease from his body. "I love you, Virginia Potts," he said unevenly. "I love you to the point of madness and beyond."

"I know," she said wryly, "I was there." Pepper leaned down so her face was close to his. "And I love you to the point of madness and beyond too."

Tony's heart burst with joy. "Really? Still?"

Pepper gave a little laugh. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Tony's head was starting to spin being this close to her. "You are." He gazed at her adoringly. "And looking utterly gorgeous while doing it." He moved in a little closer. "If I go to kiss you, are you going to hit me?"

A small smile played around Pepper's infinitely kissable lips. "Would that stop you?"

"Not even a little bit," said Tony huskily as he levered himself up to close the small distance between them. His senses exploded with the first taste of Pepper on his lips. It felt like eons since they'd last kissed, even though it was only that morning, and Tony relished each nanosecond of it after being fearful he'd never be allowed to kiss this woman again. He put his hand to the back of Pepper's head, burying his fingers in the pale auburn softness and deepened the kiss. Pepper offered no resistance, eagerly moving into his kisses as Tony gave a little groan and lay back down on the floor, pulling Pepper's body down onto him. A hand went to the bottom of her tight skirt, sliding up under it so he could cup one very toned buttock in his hand.

"You're vibrating," she whispered into their kiss.

"And then some," agreed Tony eagerly, the blood pounding in his ears on its way to a destination much lower on his body.

Pepper laughed against his lips. "I mean your phone, it's vibrating, you're getting a call."

"You're more important," said Tony dismissively, even though he could now feel the thing vibrating away in his jean pocket.

"It could be important," Pepper argued.

"I'm getting makeup sex," Tony argued back, squeezing her wonderful bottom. "What could be better than that?"

Pepper pulled back and sent him an amused look. "Who said you were getting sex?"

"My overdeveloped sense of optimism?" returned Tony hopefully.

Pepper laughed and wiggled a little on top of him. "Is that what I can feel?" she sassed him. "I didn't realise that was your optimism pressing against me."

Tony groaned at her teasing as much as at enjoying her wiggling. "Don't play with me, woman," he growled.

Pepper's lips hovered over his, tantalisingly close, torturing Tony with their nearness. "I thought that was exactly what you wanted me to do with you, Tony," she purred before abruptly sitting up and grabbing his cell phone out of his pants in one swift motion.

"Hey!" Tony protested at the theft and the loss of contact, mainly the loss of contact but Pepper was already answering the phone.

"Tony Stark's answering service," she said primly into the phone.

Tony sat up and pressed kisses along her elegant neck, not caring in the least who was on the other end of the phone. He nuzzled her neck, one hand going to the buttons of Pepper's blouse but stopped when he felt Pepper tense. Tony pulled back and looked at her with a frown.

"It's Director Fury," said Pepper seriously. "He needs to speak to you."

Tony took the phone and listened to the typically short directions on the other end of the phone. "I'm on my way," he promised him. Tony hung up and gave Pepper an apologetic look. "Pepper-"

"I know," she interrupted, "you need to go to work, I understand."

"I don't deserve you."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Goes without saying."

Tony smiled knowingly. "But you like me saying it anyway."

Pepper's eyes were laughing. "That also goes without saying." She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled Tony into a passionate kiss which left them both breathless. "You come home to me in one piece," she ordered him. "Jackass."

Tony grinned. "Your wish is my command, my lady."

"And apologise to Lewis before today is over," she instructed him as Tony stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Already done," said Tony proudly. "See, I told you I was sorry."

"You apologised to Lewis before you apologised to me?"

"I was taking a run up at you, start with the easy stuff first and then work my way up to the hard stuff."

"Were you trying to apologise to me or do long jump?" asked an exasperated Pepper.

"I've never understood long jump," offered up Tony. "I can understand high jump, up is important, but long, I don't know, it doesn't seem that magnificent to me. Big deal, you can jump a long way."

"The Hulk gets around by jumping long distances," Pepper noted. "Perhaps you could mention to him that you find his mode of transport less than impressive."

"It's different when a giant green monster does something," Tony noted. "Everything they do is impressive. The Hulk, making a bed, impressive. The Hulk, scratching his gigantic, green ass, impressive."

Pepper just smiled. "Don't you have somewhere you should be right now?"

"Kiss for good luck?" asked Tony brightly.

"You'll get your kiss when you come home to me," said Pepper and put her hand on his chest, the worry showing through her teasing. "Call it an incentive."

Tony grinned. "Then call me incensed."

"That's not the right way to use that word."

"I know, I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

"I did."

"It was a slim hope at best."

Pepper gave him in intense look. "Be careful," she pleaded with him. "Whatever this is, just please, God, be careful, Tony."

"I will," he promised her and started to back out of the room. "You just keep those lips warm for me. I'm going to be back before you have time to miss me." With that Tony was out of the bedroom and breaking into a trot, the mental image of Pepper smiling at him securely locked away in his head for safe keeping. It felt so good to finally have the air cleared between them. It felt like days since Tony had been able to think straight and now with everything sorted between him and Pepper, he could at last get his head back in the game. And it looked like that game was heating up. "Jarvis," he barked as he ran towards the elevator, "get the Mach VIII suit ready for me."

"Very good, sir."

A thought occurred as he stepped into the elevator. "And find me someone who can take paint off a Jackson Pollock painting."

There was a brief pause. "Isn't paint on the Pollock the point, sir?"

"Don't get smart with me, just find me a guy and don't use that many p's in a sentence ever again, it's creepy," said Tony impatiently.

"Pardon my playfulness, sir."

Tony shook his head. What was up with a computer that had to have the last word all the time? Tony gave up. "Are the other Avengers assembling?"

"I believe even as we speak, sir," responded the ever unflappable Jarvis. "Shall I also ready the jet?"

"Yes, fuel her up."

"What co-ordinates am I programming in, sir?"

"Los Alamos, New Mexico," said Tony grimly as he remembered Fury's message.

"And what is in Los Alamos, sir?"

"Trouble," replied Tony as the doors slid open at his lab's level, "big trouble."


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N****: Ugg, so I FINALLY got this chapter done, 4000 words later. This chapter was meant to be a part of the last one, but that would have made a chapter about 7000 words long, which is just crazy. . **

**So, anyway, this is the last of the 'hearts and flowers' chapters before we have all the action. Everything that is happening in these scenes is happening concurrently, along with the last chapter if that makes sense. **

**Okay, I need a cuppa tea and a lie down after this beast, so I'm off. Also, I'm starting another cycle of 2 straight weeks of work, so I'll try hard to get you the next update as fast as I can, but I don't know how I'll go. I guess we'll see.**

**Later, guys. :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Seven**

Steve walked into the school gymnasium, nervous butterflies in the pit of his stomach making their presence felt. Classes had just let out in the elementary school and the halls were quickly devoid of children, eager to get home but it wasn't the children Steve was in search of right then. He'd asked around and been directed to the gymnasium and now he was here, his nerves were in full play. It was funny to him in a non-humorous way, that he didn't flinch going into battle, but this seemed a lot more nerve wracking to him. Ahead of him Steve could see Olivia with a box of assorted sports balls and she was putting them away in a little room beside the gymnasium bleachers. Olivia's back was to him and she was reaching above her head with the large box, attempting to put it on a top shelf, going up on tip toes. Steve lengthened his stride and quickened his pace. "Here, let me," he offered.

Olivia started at the sound of his voice and the box above her head tipped over on her, raining down balls on her head. The balls bounced past her and Steve went to leap out of their path but there were so many of them, all different sizes that he miscalculated and put his foot down on a baseball and lost his balance. Steve stumbled forward, arms going out in front of himself to save himself from falling. He staggered a couple of paces, standing on a tennis ball this time, a leg shooting out from under him as he now skidded along on his knees. Steve collided with the tiered bench seating props, an arm going through one of the gaps in the metal structure keeping the seating upright as he fought to regain his balance.

"Steve!" gasped Olivia in horror and was instantly by his side, bending over and looking at him with concern. "Steve, are you alright?"

"Of course," said Steve brightly, hoping he wasn't blushing. He must look like an idiot, kneeling on the floor, arm stuck in the bleachers.

"I'm so sorry," said Olivia hastily.

Steve was pulling on his arm, trying to get it out while he continued to smile at Olivia. "No, it was completely my fault, I shouldn't have sneaked up on you like that."

Olivia gave his efforts to free his arm a concerned look. "Are you stuck?"

The smile was still plastered on his face, even as his efforts to free his arm became more forceful. "Nope. My arm went in, simple physics says it has to come out again." Steve moved his arm in several different angles, trying to unwedge the muscled limb from the small break in the metal support beams he'd managed to fall through. After a full minute of him trying his best to get free, Steve was beginning to realise he might have a problem. He gave up. "I'm stuck," he announced unhappily. "Damn it!" He instantly regretted his outburst and sent Olivia an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cuss in front of you, Olivia. That was really rude of me."

Olivia smiled. "It's alright," she reassured him. She looked him over as he knelt there, arm stuck in the bleacher. "I can help. Caden, one of the boys in my class, he's always sticking his head into things and getting stuck. I'm getting good at this. I've removed his head from three staircase railings, two sets of gates and a bucket so far this year."

_Great, he was on par with a seven year old, this wasn't going well._

"I'll go and melt some butter," said Olivia, straightening up. "I've got a special store of the stuff now." She patted his arm. "I'll be right back, you wait here." Olivia blushed. "Oh, sorry, I mean, I guess you don't have a choice."

"I guess not," said Steve unhappily. This was not going to plan at all. Now he knew how Tony must feel with his conversations with Pepper.

"I'll only be a minute," she promised him and then hurried off.

Steve continued to struggle to get his arm out and he could have done it by bending the metal supports of the bleachers, but he didn't feel right about compromising the integrity of a structure children routinely sat on. He shook his head. "This is so stupid," he muttered to himself.

"No, it's not," came Olivia's voice from behind him. "Accidents happen."

Steve turned his head to see Olivia almost by his side. "You sneaked up on me," he noted in surprise. "That's usually really hard to do."

"I'm just a quiet walker," she said, kneeling down beside him. "I don't know why, it's just one of those things." Olivia hesitated. "I might get butter on your t-shirt," she warned him.

"It's fine," he reassured her. "I'd rather a butter stain and my arm and then a clean t-shirt and no arm."

Olivia smiled. "Good point." She dipped her fingers into the cup of melted butter she was holding and proceeded to rub it on Steve's arm.

Steve couldn't help himself from enjoying her soft touch on his bicep as Olivia smeared the butter all over the trapped limb. He watched, captivated by the intensity with which she was performing the simple job, the tip of her tongue peeking out from behind her lips as she concentrated on the task in hand. Olivia looked utterly kissable in that moment, her face so close to his as she knelt beside him to help retrieve his arm from the bleachers. "I'm sorry," he said huskily and watched as his breath moved the fine hairs tucked behind Olivia's ears.

"It was an accident," she said, still concentrating on what she was doing.

"I mean for being such a jerk to you," Steve clarified.

Olivia stopped what she was doing and looked at him uncertainly. "You weren't a jerk to me, Steve," she said quietly. "I was obviously interrupting something between you and Maggie." Her eyes slid away from his and she looked down at the ground.

"There is no me and Maggie," said Steve quickly.

Olivia's expressive brown eyes were looking at him in surprise now. "Oh, but I thought, I mean, you seemed like-"

"I was confused," Steve confessed. "I was having trouble letting go of the past and wasn't sure how to move forward with my life. It took spending some time with Maggie to make me really realise you can never go home again and that doesn't have to be a bad thing." Steve was enjoying how close they were. "I know you must think I've been a flake but I hope that isn't going to stop you from saying yes, Olivia."

Olivia blinked. "Yes to what?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh," said Steve, embarrassed, "sorry, in my head I've already asked you out. I guess I forgot that bit." He smiled at her and tried to make it sound appealing. "We'll do anything you like, go anywhere you want." Steve hesitated. "Only probably not dancing, you know, because I want you to like me." Olivia looked a little overwhelmed and Steve rushed in to try and make his pitch. "Look, I know I'm asking you to take a gamble on me. I'm this guy from another time, and I've got this alter ego which is going to have an impact on a relationship and it's going to mean I can't always be with you, plus there is the danger thing and oh yeah, I've got my arm stuck in a bleacher." Steve grimaced. "I know I'm not much of a catch."

Olivia had a tremulous smile on her face. "You don't ask girls out often, do you?"

"What gave it away?" asked Steve ruefully.

"Pretty much everything," she said honestly.

Steve felt like an idiot. "Right," he said, looking away.

"But I think that was perfect," Olivia finished off.

Steve looked at her in surprise. "You do?" He was confused. "Why?"

"Because it was real and not some kind of line." She gave him a shy look. "And I like that."

"So," said Steve hesitantly, "is that a yes?" His heart was beating ten to the dozen.

Olivia smiled, her whole face lighting up. "Yes, Steve, that's a yes."

Steve grinned, suddenly feeling invincible and it had nothing to do with the super serum affected cells in his body. "That's great, really great, Olivia. Thank you for giving me a second chance." Their faces were so close, it would be the easiest thing in the world to simply lean in and close the distance between them and seal this first date offer with a kiss. Steve's eyelids drooped as they became focused on Olivia's inviting lips. He leaned into her and their lips were just about to touch when his cell phone went off. They both started and ended up knocking heads. "Sorry," said Steve quickly as Olivia winced and rubbed her forehead. "Sorry."

"It's alright," she said hastily. "I'm fine."

Steve grimaced. "I have to get this, sorry," he apologised again. Steve answered the call from Fury, listening intently to the other man. "I'm on my way," he promised him. Steve hung up and made an apologetic noise. "I'm sorry, Olivia, I have to go, there is an emergency the Avengers are needed for."

"Of course," said Olivia, "I understand. Try it now."

"What?" asked Steve, still distracted by their almost kiss.

"Your arm, try and get it out now."

"Oh," said Steve, realising his arm was still stuck in the bleachers. He pulled while twisting and his buttered arm slid out smoothly.

Olivia looked pleased. "There you go."

Steve quickly stood up, helping Olivia up as well. "Thanks for the help, Olivia."

"You're welcome."

Steve smiled. "You're always helping me, bullets, butter, I wonder what will be next?"

"I'm a little afraid to think about it," she admitted ruefully.

Steve wanted to kiss her goodbye, but the momentum from a before the call seemed to be lost and they were both hesitant. "I should go," he said reluctantly.

"Good luck," said Olivia encouragingly.

"You too," he returned without thinking. Steve didn't know what that was meant to mean so he just gave an embarrassed smile and went to leave. He'd only taken a few steps when he realised he didn't want to leave Olivia this way. Steve turned around, marched back to Olivia and swept her up in a passionate kiss. Olivia seemed surprised at first, but she quickly returned his kiss with just as much enthusiasm and for a long bliss-filled minute, the kiss continued. They were both so caught up in the kiss, neither one of them noticed Olivia letting the cup of melted butter in her hand tilt forward, causing the butter to make a pool on the floor. Steve finally broke the kiss and they were both flushed and breathless. "I'll see you soon," he promised her.

Olivia was beaming and she just nodded in response.

Steve turned around to leave again, a huge smile on his face. He didn't notice the pool of butter at his feet and stepped right into it as he went to stride off. Steve immediately slipped over in the slippery mess and he hit the ground with a thud, banging his forehead. He winced but ignored the pain as he tried to stand up. Standing up was easier said than done as he quickly became covered in the butter and lost all traction. He flailed around on the floor, conscious of Olivia rushing up to help him. He held out a buttery hand to her. "No," he said quickly, "you'll fall over too. It's alright, I've got this." Steve struggled to find his footing. "But can you do me a favour, Olivia."

"Anything," said Olivia, looking mortified.

"When you remember me making this exit, can you picture it a whole lot cooler than this and just remember up to the kiss?"

Olivia bit her bottom lip, her face lit up in a huge smile. "Yes."

"Thanks," said Steve as he finally managed to get to his feet, "I really appreciate it."

"Be careful," Olivia instructed him.

Steve grinned. "I will, I've got a date with a beautiful girl I don't want to miss, you can count on it." He felt like fate was giving him a second chance at love, and not the kind he thought Maggie would offer. This was a fresh start and Steve was excited about where it could lead. Steve hurried to get to his motor bike, mind focusing on the task at hand now and glad to be getting back into the fight. It felt like everything was back on track in his life and it was a good feeling.

**oooOOOOooo**

Thor wandered along the park path, enjoying the feeling of Jane's small hand in his, while he carried a picnic hamper in the other. After all of the strangeness at the Avenger's Tower, it was nice to be alone with Jane once more.

"Pepper seems really nice," commented Jane as they strolled along.

"She is indeed a kind and generous soul," agreed Thor readily.

"Her relationship with Tony seems pretty interesting," remarked Jane. "I'm still not sure what I saw was real."

Thor nodded. "There was much confusion, a familiar state around Tony Stark at times."

They walked on for a little bit more, the path taking them to a large pond. Thor inclined his head at the ducks gracefully gliding across the water. "This is local gaming reserve," announced Thor, happy to be able to give Jane a guided tour. "It is populated with many delicious animals." Jane abruptly stopped walking and Thor was forced to stop as well. He looked down at her questioningly.

Jane's expression was one of concern. "Thor," she began hesitantly, "you're not eating the ducks in Central Park, are you?"

Thor paused, sensing he'd done something wrong, but he didn't know what. "No," he lied on instinct and then relented, "ah, maybe, why doth thou look at me in such a way, Jane? We always hunted for our dinner in Asgard."

"You're not in Asgard any longer, Thor," Jane reminded him. "We don't hunt the ducks in Central Park, it's illegal."

Thor's eyebrows shot up. "Illegal? Why put some delicious beasts in one area and make it against the law to eat them? Your Midgardian ways defy all logic."

"Maybe to you, but that's just how it is." Jane's face looked even more concern. "There-there isn't a duck in that picnic hamper, is there?"

Thor shook his head. "Nay, t'was prepared by a local vendor. I sent out for it."

Jane looked relieved. "Oh good, that's good to hear."

Thor was still perplexed as to why this appeared to be such a point of concern for Jane. The meats in his hamper had once belonged to various animals, they all had to be hunted and killed. This did not seem any different to him. His confusion was forgotten though, when Jane looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm really happy you brought me back to New York with you, Thor," she said shyly.

Thor cupped her face, a flood of emotion washing through him. "Not as happy as I, Jane. My heart would not lay right in my chest until we were reunited."

Jane shook her head and gave a rueful smile. "You're hard on the competition, do you know that?"

Thor stiffened. "There is another who vies for thy favour?" he asked, his face darkening in displeasure. Jealousy was an unfamiliar emotion for Thor and he hadn't expected it to be such a powerful one.

"No," Jane laughed, "I just meant you seem to know all the right things to say." She looked wistful. "I suppose you've dated a lot of women, what with being a prince and all."

"I do not know this word 'date'," said Thor slowly, "but I have bedded many women, if that was thy question."

Jane wrinkled her nose. "There's that honesty thing again. I'm not sure I'm a fan."

"A few hours pleasure between silken sheets is no match for what I feel when I stand in your company, Jane."

"Hours?" repeated Jane, looking impressed. "Wow, once again, ruining me for guys from this realm forever. This dating a demi-god thing is going to take some getting used to."

"So, this is what a date is?" asked Thor, filling in some blanks.

"If you don't kill any ducks it is," agreed Jane.

"This makes me most joyous," he announced jovially. Just then his cell phone rang and Thor reached into his pants pocket. "These devices are of such a tiny nature," he grumbled, as he tried to find the right button to press.

"Here." Jane reached out and pressed the appropriate button and Thor smiled at her appreciatively.

"T'is Thor, speak," he said commandingly into the device.

"You don't have to shout," Jane advised him.

"But the caller is a great distance away," Thor protested.

Jane graced him with an indulgent look. "That isn't how phones work, Thor."

Fury's voice was in his ear, and as he spoke, Thor's face hardened purposefully. "Aye, Director, I will take my place in the Avengers to fight this new menace." He hung up and made an unhappy face. "I-"

"-have to go," Jane surmised. "I get it." She held out her hand. "Give me the basket and I'll feed the ducks, realign your karma for you."

Thor didn't know what this karma was or why it would be crooked on him, but he handed her the basket. "I am sorry, Jane Foster."

"I'm not," she said simply. "It's who you are and I'm proud of that. Go kick some ass." She hesitated. "Assuming whatever this trouble is has an ass, of course."

Thor smiled and stole a quick kiss from her. "I will return, Jane Foster and we will complete our date."

Jane nodded and gave him a loving look. "I'll be waiting."

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha folded her arms in front of herself and looked down at Clint. "Are you sure you're not making this up? This sounds like a work of fiction."

"Every word is true," grunted Clint. They were both in the exercise room, working on getting his damaged leg up to full strength. Currently Clint was lying on his back, feet up in the air, with Natasha balanced on the souls of his feet. He was using her weight to intensify the knee to chest presses. Clint continued the presses as he finished his recap of the events from earlier that day. "Tony leapt on top of one of the MMMBop boys and accused him of knocking up Pepper, but it turns out he'd actually knocked up his gay partner's sister."

"I still can't believe you took Tony's money to call them that," said Natasha in exasperation as she expertly balanced on top of Clint's moving feet.

"Hey, a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks," said Clint philosophically.

"Even for Tony, it seems pretty impossible that he'd think Pepper was cheating on him," Natasha noted.

"Yeah," gasped Clint, his face pink from his exertions, but he was pleased with how well his injured leg was holding up, "but that guy isn't all there when it comes to Pepper." He grimaced as his leg began to shake, finally giving in to the strain put on it. "What did you have for lunch, a camel?" he puffed.

"Don't blame your shortcomings on me, Barton," she sassed him.

"Way to rally the team, coach," he grunted, the shaking in his leg getting worse. Clint's leg gave way and suddenly Natasha was tumbling down on top of him. She ended up straddling him, hands planted either side of Clint's head, their faces almost touching. They stared at each other for a long moment, the tension between them mounting. Natasha moved to kiss him but Clint reacted quickly, flipping her over and now he was straddling her. "Oh no you don't," he admonished her.

Natasha looked put out. "I thought you wanted to kiss me."

"I do," said Clint, "but the point is that _I'm_ meant to kiss _you_."

Natasha gave him a cool look. "What's the difference?"

Clint smiled knowingly. "The difference is you don't get to be in control of this." His smile widened teasingly. "And that's driving you crazy."

Natasha snorted. "Hardly."

Now it was Clint's turn to snort. "Yeah right, Romanoff. You look up the dictionary and there is a picture of you under control freak."

"This kiss isn't going to change anything between us," she cautioned him.

"If you really believed that, you wouldn't be trying to pre-empt things," said Clint smugly.

"I mentioned smug not being a good colour on you, right?"

"Duly noted." Both of their cell phones rang at once. Clint tilted his head. "Saved by the bell, Nat, who's a lucky girl, then?"

"Do you really want the women with the brain tumour to answer that?" she asked wryly.

"You're not dead yet and it I have anything to do with it, you're not going to be anytime soon," he promised her as he went for his phone.

**oooOOOOooo**

Bruce picked up his phone and stared at the picture of Betty on the screen saver for a long moment. He put the phone down and then looked over at the regenerated apple sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. Bruce couldn't help but look at that apple and think of all the possibilities. He understood Tony's reasons for concern, but he'd been looking for a cure to get this monkey off his back for so long, it was impossible to not entertain the idea of being free of the Hulk, no matter the risk. Bruce looked at the picture of Betty, imagining what it'd be like to walk up to her a free man, a man not tied down by the uncontrollable creature inside. He picked up the phone again and dialled. The phone was answered after three rings.

"Hello?"

Betty's familiar voice caused a wealth of emotions to course through Bruce's body. He opened his mouth, throat closing over as he heard Betty's voice again after such a long time apart.

"Hello?" Betty's voice was concerned. There was a brief pause. "Bruce?" She said his name questioningly. "Bruce, is that you?"

Bruce panicked and hung up, not knowing what he wanted to say to Betty. Hearing her voice had unnerved him. He'd thought he'd learned to let her go just a little bit, but when she'd said his name, Bruce knew he was going to leave this earth loving that woman as much as he always had. "This is a backwards step for you, Banner," he muttered unhappily. His cell phone rang and made him jump. For one blind, hopeful moment he hoped it was Betty, even though he still had no idea what he was going to say to her. As soon as he saw it was Fury he was both disappointed and relieved. He answered the call. "I hope you've got something for us to do," he said, "because we're all going crazy here." Fury spoke and Bruce grimaced. "Careful what you wish for, I guess." He hung up and sighed. Bruce hadn't chosen any of this and he couldn't imagine a time when this wasn't going to feel like an impossible burden to carry. "Jarvis?" he called out.

"I'm reading the jet as we speak, sir," Jarvis pre-empted him. "The others are on their way."

Bruce stood up and sighed. "Let's do this then."


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N****: Okay, did better than I thought I would and managed to get this chapter done in kind of an okay time. I don't know who many chapters this show down is going to take, we'll just barrel in and see how it goes. :D **

**One of my reviewers mentioned about Tony's suit being a Mach VII not a VIII – that was deliberate, he's got an upgrade which we'll go into later on. ;) **

**And I guess we'd better get into it. This is a warm up chapter and just to let you know, there will probably be a few cliff hangers coming up, because well, there is going to be a lot of action and I have to break chapters somewhere. LOL **

**I'll work on getting the next chapter to you as quickly as I can. **

**Thanks for reading as always. :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Eight**

The face plate of the Iron Man suit slid back to reveal a puzzled looking Tony. "As emergencies go, this is kind of underwhelming," he noted.

All of the Avengers were standing at the opening of the vault at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The LANL was one of the few testing laboratories in the US which still housed a nuclear stockpile. The Avengers had all rushed to the testing laboratory after Fury had told them there was a threat identified with the nuclear weapons being detonated. The location of the laboratory was such that it was built on a volcanic field and several fault lines. Any detonation of nuclear weapons in that site would have a huge effect in causing earthquakes and underground magma flows to be activated all along the New Mexico and California area. The potential for disaster was huge and millions of lives would be at stake. That being said though, they'd met two confused looking security guards who had shown them to the vault when they arrived. The vault seemed completely intact and there was no sign of any kind of threat.

"Hey, Fury," called out Tony, "did you hear that, my whelmed is under. Where did you get this intel from anyway?"

"We intercepted some communications on Hammer's line about him setting up the LANL to blow," replied Fury. "We assumed he was making his move."

"If his move is nothing, then yeah, I guess that's true," said Tony laconically. "Nothing is happening here. Everything looks secure."

"I told you all that," said one of the security guards, a man who looked to be his late fifties who'd introduced himself as Ramirez. "This place has more security then-" He hesitated, obviously floundering. "Um, then a really secure place."

"Good analogy," said Tony dryly.

Natasha walked out from inside the vault, with Steve following behind her. "Are there only two of you here today?" she asked the man.

"It's Sunday," replied the other officer, a blonde man whose name tag read 'Boyd'. "No one works on a Sunday and besides, this place has a lot of security. I push a button and not even an ant can get in or out of that vault."

"They sound like famous last words," Bruce noted.

"Has there been anything out of the ordinary in the last couple of days?" asked Clint. "People you don't know coming through, any kinds of faults or malfunctions?"

"The vending machine in the break room went out two days ago and we got a guy in to fix it." said Ramirez a little sarcastically. "Is that what you mean?" He made an impatient sound. "Look, this place is secure. We take our jobs seriously here, we know what we're protecting."

Natasha spoke into her comlink. "Director Fury, what do you want us to do?"

"Stay where you are," said Fury curtly. "I'm getting the information checked."

"We're going to check in too," said Ramirez. "I think our bosses are going to have something to say about this. Just because the Avengers are now redundant with the Defenders doing their job, it doesn't mean you have to create trouble where there is none." With that little dig delivered, the two security guards left.

"This doesn't feel right," said Steve, looking around. "Something is off."

"Agreed," said Natasha without hesitation. "I don't like this."

"I don't like being kept waiting," said Tony impatiently. "Some of us have places they need to be."

Clint gave him a sideways look. "Made up with Pepper I see."

Tony couldn't help but feel a little smug. "Yes."

Steve shook his head. "Unbelievable. What did you say to her to get her to forgive you so quickly?"

"That's between me and her."

"Don't know, huh?"

"I've got a few ideas, but nothing concrete," agreed Tony easily. "I just tend to talk and eventually something sticks against the wall."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Never have the words 'dumb luck' ever been truer then what passes for your skill at relationships."

"Jealousy's a curse," said Tony, unbothered.

"So is stupidity," returned Steve.

Bruce was standing next to Steve and sent him a curious look. "Why do you smell like butter?"

Steve didn't meet his eye. "You're imagining it."

Clint leant over and sniffed him. "You do smell like butter," he confirmed. "What's up with that?"

Tony was already pretty sure he knew. "And he's got a graze on his chin," Tony noted. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Everyone looked at him blankly except for Steve, who was giving him an annoyed look.

Clint took a stab in the dark. "Captain America shaves with butter?" he hazarded a guess. Clint pursed his lips. "Is that a 1940's thing?"

"I don't shave with butter," said Steve shortly.

"Frostie the Blowman here has been to see Miss O'Brien," announced Tony with confidence. "Someone ask me how I know?"

Natasha shook her head. "Is there any point when you're going to tell us anyway?"

"It's because he's all bruised and buttered," finished off Tony triumphantly. "Get it, instead of bruised and battered, he's bruised and buttered." He looked around at them. "I made a joke."

"If you say so," said Bruce, looking unconvinced.

"You don't get an opinion until you get the other guy to come out and play," shot back Tony.

"I'm not letting the Hulk loose on a place filled with nuclear weapons," said Bruce flatly.

Tony made a frustrated noise. "Are we going to have this argument every time the Avengers get a call out? We need the Hulk."

"He wouldn't have laughed at your joke either," Bruce promised him.

Thor was looking confused. "I do not understand," he announced. "Does this butter smell make you more appealing to your maiden, Steve Rogers?"

Steve looked embarrassed. "Look, I fell down in some butter, it could happen to anyone, okay? Let's drop it."

Clint was looking at him with real interest now. "So many questions now."

"I'm going to check on the vending machine," said Steve tersely. "One of us should stay on point."

"Get me a Dr Pepper," Tony instructed him.

"You don't need the sugar," shot back Steve as he walked off to find the vending machine in the break room.

Tony shrugged. "Probably true."

Steve left the group as Fury was on the comlink again. "We've confirmed the transmissions and the threat was definitely real."

Natasha frowned. "Or meant to make us think it's real," she countered. "If they've discovered we were monitoring their communication traffics, Hammer could use that against us by feeding us false information."

"Our taps were untraceable," Clint pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," said Natasha. "Hammer knew we were going to do it, even if he couldn't detect it and he sent us on this wild goose chase for a reason."

"Misdirection," filled in Fury.

"It's what I'd do," said Natasha simply. "It keeps your opponent off balance."

"And distracted," added in Thor. "Tis a cunning battle plan."

"Come back to the heli-carrier," Fury ordered them. "We need to debrief."

"How do you debrief when nothing happened?" Tony argued but he left with the others as they headed back outside of the complex. Once out in the open, they found Steve hadn't joined them yet. "Hey, butter ball," said Tony into his comlink, "this thing is a bust and we're outta here. Where are you?"

"Che… ven… break…"

"Either Cap is talking in tongues or we're having comlink issues," noted Tony.

"How else would thy speak if not with thy tongue?" asked Thor seriously.

Tony jabbed an armoured finger at him. "If you keep needing my jokes explained, Rapunzel, I'm going to stop making them."

Clint gave Thor a deadly serious look. "You're our only hope, Thor, take this one for the team."

"Rapunzel?" repeated Thor in confusion.

Clint nodded approvingly. "Good man."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "I was happy in the slums of India, I really was."

"Martyrdom isn't a good colour on you, B," said Tony dismissively. "It makes your ears look lopsided."

Bruce sent him an unimpressed look. "Nothing about that statement makes sense or bears responding to."

"He says, responding to the statement," noted Tony laconically.

Natasha shook her head at them. "I'm going to check on Steve." She started to head back into the building.

"Want me to come with?" offered up Clint.

"And break up open mic night at Comedy Central?" she asked wryly. "I wouldn't want to disappoint the fans."

Thor scowled as Natasha headed back into the building. "All thy lips bring forth words which make no sense," he grumbled. "I am greatly displeased."

"Rapunzel is a woman in an Earth fairy tale with long golden hair and men have to climb up the hair to get to her because she's locked in a tower."

"You have likened me to a woman, Tony Stark." Thor's frown deepened. "I am even more displeased."

"You should hit something," said Tony helpfully. "That will make you feel better. Hit Bruce with your giant hammer, the Hulk can take it."

"I'm not turning into the Hulk," said Bruce impatiently. "So, you can be as annoying as you want, Tony. It's not going to happen."

"But the big guy hasn't been out in ages," Tony protested. "You've had him cooped up in that repressed rage thing you've got going on. He's probably looking to stretch his legs and go tinkle real bad about now." He made a sweeping hand gesture. "We're in the middle of the desert, what harm can he do?"

"We're standing in front of a nuclear facility," said Bruce in disbelief.

"You don't give the other guy enough credit," Tony argued. "He's more in control than you think. Do you know what your problem is?"

"I'm listening to an idiot?" offered up Bruce in annoyance.

"You're problem is you're so anal about micro-managing the Hulk, that you've never found out what he's truly capable of," shot back Tony.

"Oh, I know what he's capable of," grimaced Bruce, "that's the problem." His face hardened. "I almost killed Natasha when we first met."

"Yes, but you didn't," Tony argued.

"Because Thor got in the way," countered Bruce.

"You're never going to be able to get the Hulk under control if you don't practice," insisted Tony stubbornly. "Pretending he isn't there isn't going to solve anything. You have to deal with the Hulk and let him work out how to self-regulate."

"A lecture on Tony Stark about self-regulation," said Bruce sarcastically. "Talk about the blind leading the blind."

Tony was frustrated. Bruce's stubborn refusal to work with, rather than against, the Hulk had him wanting to punch the other man. "You know, I love that big, green bastard, and you're never going to have any kind of peace until you work out a way to do the same," said Tony unapologetically.

"That day will never come," said Bruce forcefully. "The Hulk has destroyed my life and threatens the life of everyone I care about."

"I'm right about this," said Tony, refusing to back down. "You'll see."

Bruce arched an eyebrow. "Like you were right about Pepper being pregnant by her gay body guard?" he asked sweetly.

"I was having an off day," said Tony casually.

"It's the same day," Bruce pointed out.

Fury's voice came over their comlinks. "Avengers, why aren't you on your way back to the heli-carrier?"

"We're waiting on Steve, sir," responded Clint. "We've got some comlink issues."

"Resolve them and get back here," said Fury tersely and hung up.

Tony's frustration level went up a notch. "I'm over this. I'm sick of dancing to Hammer's tune. I say we just go back to my original plan and kick the guy's ass."

"The longer this goes on, the more appealing that idea sounds," agreed Clint.

Tony sighed. He hated wasting time and he especially hated the thought Hammer was responsible. Even when the guy wasn't around, he was still annoying the hell out of him.

oooOOOOooo

Hammer hung up his phone, smiling at the message he'd just received and dialled a new number.

Jerry picked up immediately. "Hello."

"It's go time, Jerry."

Jerry made a nervous sound on the other end of the phone. "Okay."

"I hope you're ready to make history, Jerry," said Hammer happily.

"I'm ready for this to be over, sir," said Jerry, sounding terrified.

"Don't worry," Hammer reassured him. He caught his reflection in the back seat window of the limo he was sitting in and smoothed down his hair, preening a little. "I've covered every angle. This can't go wrong."

There was a brief pause. "I'm sure you're right, sir."

Hammer's smile widened. He knew he was right and by the end of today, the whole world was going to know it too.

oooOOOOooo

Natasha walked briskly down the laboratory hallways, intent on finding Steve. She'd memorised the floor plan before they'd even arrived. It was an old habit she had no intention of breaking because it was a useful tool. You never knew when you'd need to find your way around somewhere quickly. The sound of her boots echoed down the hallway as Natasha made her way to the break room. She passed several locked doors on the way and again, out of habit, checked each one. Natasha estimated she was about halfway to the break room when she tried the handle on what was labelled as a utility room. The door was locked, but she instantly noted a dark stain seeping out from underneath the doorway. She looked more closely and saw it was blood.

Natasha reacted without hesitation. She drew her gun and kicked in the door, the wood around the lock shattering with the force of her blow. The door swung open as a body slumped out on the floor at her feet. Natasha's jaw hardened as she recognised the dead body of the guard named Ramirez. Even as she felt for a pulse, Natasha knew there was no point, the man had been dead for some time. Her hand went to the comlink in her ear. "Avengers," she said urgently, "we have a situation here. Get in here, now." Natasha didn't even wait for a response. With her gun still drawn, she broke into a run, heading for the break room to find Steve, the need suddenly a lot more desperate now.

oooOOOOooo

Steve straightened up from where he'd been closely examining the vending machine. Everything looked in place to him. He spoke into his comlink. "Guys, I'm on my way back." Steve had gotten a garbled message from Tony earlier, but figured it wasn't important otherwise they would have come looking for him. He tapped the comlink in his ear. All this technology was great, but that was if it worked. Steve figured he'd get a replacement one when he was back on the heli-carrier. He turned around as he heard approaching footsteps. He nodded at the guards, Ramirez and Boyd, who were walking up to him. "I couldn't find anything, everything looks clear."

"Told you," said Boyd.

"You can't be too careful," noted Steve, unapologetic for his thoroughness.

"Captain America is right," agreed Ramirez. "You can't be too careful." He abruptly pulled out his gun and shot the unsuspecting Boyd in the head. The guard was dead before he hit the floor.

Steve tensed, shocked by Ramirez's sudden action. His muscles coiled, ready to jump on Boyd's killer but now the gun was trained on him. "Not so fast," he was cautioned by Ramirez.

"Who are you?" asked Steve tightly. "What do you want?"

"Two very good questions," noted Ramirez. His face seemed to dissolve in front of Steve's eyes and suddenly he was looking at the face of a woman with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes so pale it was startling. "You can call me, Ghost," she said simply. "And what I want, is what you want."

Steve's expression darkened as he glanced at the dead guard lying in a growing pool of his own blood. "I find that hard to believe."

Ghost just smiled. "My apologies, what I meant to say was, I want what you're _going_ to want." She lifted her free hand up and spoke into the device strapped to her arm. "He's all clear, Jerry. You're good to go."

Steve went to make his move while Ghost's attention was momentarily divide but then a paralysing pain ripped through his head and he was dropping to his knees, trying to fight against it. Steve grabbed his head in his hands, eyes squeezed shut against the excruciating pain before everything went black and he knew nothing more…


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N****: A big chapter for you, guys, and I can't believe I got it done for you today. **

**A LOT is going on in this chapter and I see it as a very visual one because of how much jumping around it does. This chapter is one of those ones that should be seen rather than read, but I'm hoping I haven't confused you horribly with how I've gone about it. Basically all of these scenes are happening either concurrently or in rapid succession, so I hope that helps sort things out a bit for you. **

**I actually had more fun than I thought I would writing this and it didn't feel as much work. It must have something to do with all the scenes I set up. Each one was bite sized, so it didn't feel too big. **

**Anyways, really don't know when I'll get the next chapter to you, but I'll do my best to keep 'em coming.**

**Have fun with it. :D **

**PS. There is a little cameo in this chapter – see if you can pick it. ;) **

**PPS. One of my lovely reviewers told me they had a particular actress in mind when they thought of Olivia and I looked her up and agreed with her. The trouble is, I didn't know the actress before that and now I can't remember her. D'uh. If whoever recommended the actress to me is still reading and reads this, could you PM me with her name again, please? In an exciting development, a friend of mine has offered to do me a trailer for this fic, and I wanted to see if I could find some clips of her to use. Thanks. :D **

**Chapter Fifty- Nine**

"I can't believe nothing is happening here," Tony grumbled. "I put on my new Mach VIII suit and everything."

Clint looked him over. "What makes it different from the Mach VII?"

"It's not making you any less annoying," Bruce noted, obviously still put out by their earlier conversation.

"It's a suit," Clint reasoned, "not an act of God. It has its limitations."

"You speak great truth, Archer," agreed Thor knowingly.

Tony ignored their teasing. "This is what it does," he said triumphantly. Tony activated the new feature and shimmered from view, only his disembodied voice remaining as the reflective panels caused him to blend in with his surrounds. "I've installed a stealth function," he said happily. "I had the idea when I was looking for things to add onto the safety pods. I've installed them in that too."

Bruce snorted. "A stealth function is completely wasted on you."

"What does that mean?" asked Tony indignantly.

"I'm guessing he's referencing the fact you rarely shut up," said Clint in amusement. "It kind of ruins the whole stealthy thing."

"And your suit is noisy," added in Bruce as Tony walked around. "All the pneumatics make a noise, people can hear you coming."

"It's not for close up combat, obviously," said Tony, a little miffed they weren't more impressed.

"_Avengers, we have a situation. Get in here now!" _

Natasha's urgent communication had them all on instant alert. Clint reacted first and bolted towards the front door of the building. He ran straight into stealth mode Tony who wasn't able to get out of the way in time. Clint bounced off the metal armour and hit the ground with a thud. He glared up at Tony. "Damn it, Stark," he growled, "turn off that invisibility thing."

Tony deactivated the stealth shielding as Clint scrambled to his feet. "I told you it works," he gloated, even as he was following Bruce, Thor and Clint inside the building.

"Natasha," said Bruce quickly as they ran down the halls of the laboratory, "we're on our way. What's happened? Are you alright?"

"Someone has killed one of the guards," responded Natasha just as they came across Ramirez's body.

"Is Cap with you?" asked Tony tersely as they kept on running.

"I'm at the vending machine and I've found the other guard, but no Cap. This guard is dead too."

"Looks like you're going to try out your new suit after all," said Clint grimly as they quickly covered the distance to the break room to find Natasha standing beside the dead man's body.

"There is no sign of Steve," she filled them in.

"Damn it," said Tony unhappily. He spoke into his comlink. "Fury, we've got a situation here. Two dead guards and we can't find Cap."

"Looks like our intel wasn't so off after all," said Fury, not sounding particularly happy about that fact.

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer settled back in his limousine and folded his legs, intent on his conversation. "I'm telling you, Bobby, those Avengers are a menace and it's only a matter of time until they make their move and when they do, you're going to need a bit more in your arsenal then what you've got."

"I'm not disagreeing with you about the potential damage the Avengers can do," grunted Kidston. "And don't call me Bobby, my name is Robert."

"I'm just saying that you should think about my suggestion," said Hammer, ignoring the correction.

"About authorising a special force headed up by you?" repeated Kidston sceptically. "You can twist it how you like, Hammer, but what you're talking about is marshal law and I'm not going to get that through the senate without something to back it up."

"You and I both know that only the Defenders have any real hope of standing against the Avengers if they should decide to turn. The backup of the US Defence Force would certainly be a boon, but unless you're forgetting, Bobby, a couple of months ago, these guys were taking down an alien invasion force. The alien technology was a lot more advanced than ours and if the Avengers wanted to put down the US military, the military would have a hard time stopping them. Hell, the Hulk alone would take out half and that's before you factor in the realisation that our defence force is built on Stark Industries tech and Tony Stark has an intimate knowledge of our most crucial offensive and defensive systems."

"I understand what you're saying, Hammer," said Kidston tightly, "but not everyone on the Senate committee see the Avengers for what they truly are."

Hammer injected as much seriousness as he could into his tone. "Let's hope they never have to, Bobby, because if that day ever comes, then this whole planet will be in danger." He hung up on that dramatic note, glanced at his watch and smiled. "Show time," he murmured to himself as his driver navigated the streets of New York City. Hammer turned on the flat screen TV in the back of the limo and settled in for the ride.

**oooOOOOooo**

Ghost checked her watch, making sure the timing was perfect. They were in the vault and Captain America stood motionlessly in front of a row of nuclear weapons, staring sightlessly out in front of him. Ghost smiled and made one last adjustment to the video camera in front of her so that the red, white and blue hero was perfectly framed by the shot. She pressed her comlink. "Fire it up, Jerry," she commanded the skittish computer whizz. "We're going live." Ghost straightened up and nodded to Captain America. "Do you understand what you have to do?"

"I understand everything," he replied calmly.

Ghost pressed the record button on the camera and inclined her head at him, silently mouthing 'go'.

Captain America looked squarely into the camera and didn't hesitate. "Citizens of the United States of America, I think you all know who I am. As Captain America I have risked my life time after time to uphold the values this country holds dear. I was proud of this country and all it stood for and I would have counted it as an honour to give my life to it and all of its ideals..."

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer clapped his hands together as a rerun of 'The Bachelorette' was interrupted by the stoic face of Captain America.

"Oh," he chortled gleefully, "this is going to be so good."

**oooOOOOooo**

Jane threw a handful of bread to the waiting ducks in the water and they gobbled up every crumb greedily. She smiled to see their enthusiasm. "Sorry about my friend," she apologised to them. "He's from out of town, he didn't know any better." The ducks were more interested in the rest of the bread in her hand then any form of apology though as they swam right up to her, eyeing off the tasty morsel. Jane's cell phone rang and she threw the last of the bread and went to retrieve it from her bag. Her smiled widened as she saw who it was. "Hello, Darcy," she answered, "you just couldn't wait, could you?"

"No, I couldn't," said Darcy in exasperation, "not now that Thor seems to have gone over to the dark side. Tell me he hasn't, Jane," she begged her. "I don't want to think all that pretty has gone evil on us."

Jane shook her head in disbelief. "How could you know this quickly?" she asked in exasperation. Honestly, there were no limits to Darcy's ability to find things out.

"Jane, everybody knows," came the urgent reply.

"Look, it was only a couple of ducks," said Jane defensively, "and Thor wasn't to know. It doesn't mean he's gone over to the dark side or whatever."

"Ducks? What are you talking about?" asked a mystified Darcy.

Jane hesitated. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You don't know?"

"I don't know," said Jane impatiently. "Tell me what you know and then I'll know if I know it or not."

"Girl, you need to turn on the news," said Darcy.

"Which channel?" asked Jane, concerned now.

"Any of them," said Darcy in a low voice. "It looks bad, Jane, it looks really, really bad."

Jane felt physically sick. "I'll call you back," she said hastily and hung up, trembling hands getting her phone to connect to the internet and Captain America's face filled the tiny screen. She only had to listen for a few seconds before she knew Darcy was right.

This was really, really bad.

**oooOOOOooo**

Olivia looked out the window of her taxi, her face actually aching from how big her smile was. She could still feel Steve's kiss upon her lips and she felt like if she wasn't inside the cab, she'd float right away with how happy she was. On impulse she'd decided to splurge and by herself a new dress for her date with Steve. Olivia never treated herself like this, but it wasn't every day that a girl was asked out by Captain America, after all. As amazing as that thought was, what Olivia was really looking forward to was getting to know the man behind the legend better. She had this feeling he was going to be far more impressive than his costumed counterpart and she couldn't wait. The taxi slowed down as they neared Time Square, which wasn't unusual but then Olivia noticed that everyone on the sidewalk had stopped walking and was staring up at the Jumbotron and that all traffic had come to a standstill. "What's going on?" she asked uncertainly. New York was still trying to recover from attacks from aliens and metal insects, it didn't need any more drama.

"Captain America is on the Jumbotron," said her cab driver. He fiddled with his radio. "And all of my radio stations."

Olivia's eyes went wide. "What?" she scrambled out of the cab and stood behind the open door as she looked up at the giant screen in the middle of Time Square and saw Steve's handsome, albeit masked, face, looking back at her. Everyone was watching and listening around her and Olivia could hear Steve's voice coming over the taxi radio.

"_... as an honour to give my life to it and all of its ideals. I went to sleep seventy years ago and this country was worth dying for and when I woke up, it was to a world which has lost its way. This country has no understanding of the ideals so many good men and women gave their lives for. You're all running towards the path of destruction and as a true patriot, I could no longer stand idly by and let this country be brought to its knees by the inadequate people who have institutionalised the American people." Steve's jaw hardened. "That is why, as leader of the Avengers, my team and I are calling for the American government and their ineffectual, token mouthpiece, President Lieber, to stand down and hand back the power of this once great nation to the true patriots who will rebuild it into the its former glory. I will expect all statesmen and women who pollute our hard won right to democracy to stand down and hand this country over to the people who know how to truly run it properly within an hour. There are to be no exceptions and if this demand is not met, then we will have to cut off the infected limb to save the entire body..." _

Olivia's heart was pounding away in her chest. "Oh, Steve," she whispered in anguish, knowing something was terribly, terribly wrong and that this wasn't the man she knew him to be.

What could have happened in the few short hours since they last saw each other?

**oooOOOOooo**

President Stanley Martin Lieber, the 45th President of the United States of America sat behind his desk in the Oval office, grimly watching the broadcast in front of him. He sat unmoving, face set as he listened to Captain America's rhetoric. "I never thought I'd live to see the day," he murmured to himself, distraught at seeing his childhood hero, the man who'd inspired him to make a difference in this world, turn against all that he'd claimed to believe in. President Lieber ran a distracted hand through his peppered hair and readjusted his darkened prescription eyeglasses. He pulled on his grey moustache, something he did when he was greatly disturbed and listened to the rest of arguably America's greatest hero.

"_... there are to be no exceptions and if this demand is not met, then we will have to cut off the infected limb to save the entire body. I am standing in the vault of the Los Alamos National Laboratory which houses multiple nuclear weapons." _

President Lieber's stomach tightened as he sat up straighter in his chair. His Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff burst into his office unannounced and looking harassed and the President held up a warning hand to him, wanting to hear what Captain America said next. The General came to stand by his side, listening in as Captain America laid out his ultimatum.

"_If the current government doesn't disband within the hour and hand over complete control to the Avengers, then our hand will be forced and we will detonate these nuclear warheads. The resulting explosion will activate fault lines and volcanic fields which will send the West Coast of America into the ocean and threaten all other surrounding states. This is not an idle threat." Captain America made a sweeping hand gesture at the nuclear devices behind him. "I'm standing in front of what could potentially reshape the face of America forever. We will not be negotiated with. The government has hidden behind the decree that they were elected by the people, for the people, let us now see how true those words really are. Will your elected officials, who are leading this country into a Godless future, cling to their power at the cost of millions of people's lives, the people they were elected to serve?" Captain America's expression was unflinching. "You have one hour to show me President Lieber on his knees and pledging his allegiance to the Avengers and their vision for this great country of ours or their will be blood on his hands. True greatness can't be achieved without true sacrifice and it's time the people in charge who are intent on destroying our country remember that. You have one hour, I'll expect my answer by three o'clock."_

The screen went momentarily blank and then regular programming resumed.

"Sir?" said the General expectantly.

"I can't believe this is happening," said President Lieber unhappily. "Only last week the Avengers were saving us against attacking metal insects and a before that, an invading alien force. This is not the Avengers I know."

"Be that as it may, sir, whatever is going on with them, we have to come up with a strategy to defend ourselves," replied the General urgently.

The President knew the other man was right, even though it caused him great pain to even think about such a thing. "Convene an emergency meeting of the Senate and all of your head of staff," he said decisively. "I want solutions to this problem within half an hour."

"Yes, Mr. President," said the General, and quickly exited as the President reached for the phone, needing to make an important phone call.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_...I'm standing in front of what could potentially reshape the face of America forever. We will not be negotiated with. The government has hidden behind the decree that they were elected by the people, for the people, let us now see how true those words really are..."_

"Shut this thing down!" barked Fury, his expression furious as Steve's damning message continued to be streamed out live to a shocked and fearful world.

Agent Coulson was by his side, a worried look on his face. "Sir, we can't get back control of these satellites, the guy hacking into them is too good for our system."

Fury turned to him, all of his impressive presence channelled into that one eye. "Then find me this controller and bring him to me," he bit out. "I want his head on a plate, do you understand me, Agent Coulson? Any means necessary."

"Yes, sir," he replied without hesitation, "I'm on it." Agent Coulson turned on his heel and ran out of the control room, ignoring the pain in his chest the simple action caused. He had an idea, it was a long shot, but it was going to be the only way he could track the person who was pulling all the computerised strings right now. Behind him he heard Agent Hill talking to Fury.

"Director Fury," she said sharply, "I have the President on the line for you."

"I'll take it in my office," Coulson heard him reply and Phil was glad he wasn't going to be around for that conversation.

They'd all been caught off guard and the Avengers were in real trouble and Coulson was determined to help.

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer was singing a little happy tune as he listened to Captain America's beautifully delivered speech. "Couldn't have said it better myself," he gloated as the man spewed the words necessary for his plan to come to fruition. Hammer's cell phone rang and he answered it with a jaunty, "Y'ello."

"Hammer, it's happening, just as you said," came Kidston's vaguely panicky voice.

"I tried to warn you, Senator," said Hammer with feigned distress. "I know Tony Stark too well and this has his handprints all over it, he's just getting Captain America to be the figurehead for his nefarious plans."

"I don't care which one of those damn Avengers is behind it, we just need to neutralise this threat," bit out Kidston. "The President has just convened an emergency meeting of the Senate to work out what to do about this."

"Well, you know what I think needs to be done," said Hammer calmly. "My Defenders are the only hope this country. With them spearheading an attack on the Avengers and the might of the US Military Forces backing them up, I'm certain victory will be ours."

"They're not going to be happy handing over power this kind of power to you, Hammer," said Kidston, still sounding torn.

"Then they don't have to," said Hammer easily. "It's entirely up to your peers to decide what is in the best interest of the country. I'm sure you'll make the right decision ultimately."

"I'll be in touch," said Kidston dourly.

Hammer smiled. "I'm sure you will, Senator." With that he hung up just as the limousine came to a halt. He peered out through the window at the impressive Avenger's Tower looming above them and his smile widened. "Daddy's home," he purred, knowing life didn't get much better than this.

**oooOOOOooo**

"_...If the current government doesn't disband within the hour and hand over complete control to the Avengers, then our hand will be forced and we will detonate these nuclear warheads. The resulting explosion will activate fault lines and volcanic fields which will send the West Coast of America into the ocean and threaten all other surrounding states. This is not an idle threat..."_

Clint arched a surprised eyebrow as they ran back towards the vault. "Whoa, we're taking over the world now? Did I miss a meeting or something?"

As soon as the transmission had begun, Agent Hill had been sending the feed to all of them as they frantically looked for Steve. They didn't have vision but she'd informed them that Steve was in the nuclear stockpile vault.

"This message is being transmitted on every satellite feed on the planet," confirmed Agent Hill over the comlinks.

"He's hijacked them all," said Natasha grimly as she kept pace with the others easily. "The whole world is listening to this."

"None of this is right," said Tony in frustration, trying to work out what was going on. "Cap is still deeply suspicious of the microwave. There is no way he's orchestrated some kind of technology-based coup here and besides, it's Captain America, he'd never do anything like this. He makes the Boy Scouts look bad."

Clint's jaw hardened as they came to the locked and heavily reinforced vault door . "Coming from a guy who was recently made into someone else's butt monkey against his will, I'd say we're looking at Cap being taken over here. The engine is running, but someone else is definitely behind the wheel, the signs are all there."

Bruce sent Thor an urgent look. "Thor, do you think Loki is behind this?"

Thor's expression was serious as he slowly shook his head. "Nae, I do not believe this to be the handiwork of my brother."

"_You have one hour to show me President Lieber on his knees and pledging his allegiance to the Avengers..."_

"It's Hammer," said Tony with great certainty. "He's behind this."

"And he's using Noble Maniatis' nano-bots," said Natasha quickly. She looked at Clint. "Remember, he told us himself, how Maniatis was working on a nano-bot which can enter the blood stream and remotely control a person."

Clint scowled. "He made out Maniatis had failed but clearly that was what he wanted us to think."

"Everyone stand back," said Tony decisively as he raised his hands and aimed his repulsors at the vault door. They didn't have time for finesse.

"Be careful," Bruce warned him quickly even as he stepped back. "Remember, nuclear warheads inside."

"I could boil an egg with these if I wanted to," said Tony confidently. "That's the kind of control I have over them. Just remember, once we get in there, it's still Cap, everyone keep him safe."

"Why do I have a feeling that's going to be easier said than done?" Clint grunted as Tony did a controlled blast and tore the vault door from their hinges.

The Avengers rushed inside to find Steve standing in the middle of the room, his shield in front of him. "What took you so long?" he asked them coolly.

Bruce held up his hand. "It's okay, Steve," he reassured him. "We're here to help you."

"You've got it all wrong," came a female's voice as a woman with white-blonde hair stepped from the shadows to stand beside Steve. "Captain America is going to help you, Doctor Banner. In fact, he's going to help you all."

With that, Steve threw back his head and out of his mouth and nose streamed this cloud of greyness which was impossible to see what it was made up of. Tony knew instantly it was the nano-bots though. "Lock down!" he ordered Jarvis fiercely, as the Mach VIII next newest feature instantly sprang into force, sealing Tony's suit so that no outside air could reach his body. He was now solely reliant on his on board oxygen tanks, instead of being supplemented by outside oxygen. It was the only way to stop the nano-bots getting to him. The grey mass swarmed towards the Avenger's covering them in an instant even as Tony saw Bruce beginning to transform into the Hulk, his muscles bulging and a green hue colouring his face. The nano-bots flocked around them and Tony saw the other's fall to the ground, clutching their heads even as the miniscule creatures started to penetrate his suit and caused him to drop to his knees as well, his suit integrity compromised...

**A/N****: Did anyone get who the guest cameo artist was? **

**A thousand fangirl/boy points for anyone who did. LOL **

**Yeppers, President Lieber was our very own Stan Lee. That's his real last name BTW – Lieber. Changed it to Lee to break into the biz, I guess. Seeing as he always has a cameo on the movies, I had to have in this fic and I think Stan would be quite chuffed to be the President of the United States. I mean, he is of the Marvel Universe anyway, so why not make it official. ;) **


	60. Chapter 60

**A/N****: Hi guys, sorry this took a little bit longer than I'd like but work kicked my butt yet again this week. . **

**Thank you for all of your brilliant reviews, I love reading them all and it makes the hours put into each chapter so worth it, so thank you again. :D People have been letting me know what they hope to see in this showdown, and so far, as much as I can remember, I think you're all going to get what you asked for. I love reading requests for certain things that I'd already planned to put in, it makes me feel like we're all definitely on the same page. Fab. :D **

**So, another long chapter and I am slightly worried that I'm going to end up confusing people because so much is going on and there is only going to be more stuff as we get right down to it. I'm hoping it's not too bad though, and people can see what I'm aiming for. I guess we'll see once you read the chapter. **

**Hope you enjoy and I'll try to be swifter with the next chapter...**

**Chapter Sixty**

Lewis' eyes narrowed as he skilfully manoeuvred his car through New York traffic, breaking every road rule in the book. His phone rang and he pressed a button, not taking his eyes off the road. "Yes."

Greg's worried voice was on the other end of the call. "Have you heard?"

"Yes," ground out Lewis as he swerved violently to narrowly avoid an oncoming car and then promptly mounted the sidewalk for a bit before rejoining traffic that was still moving too slowly for him.

Greg gave a resigned sigh. "I'm not getting my ice, am I?"

Lewis glanced over at the five bags of ice rolling around on his backseat as he swerved through traffic and grimaced. "Ah, no, sorry." He and Greg where having their family and friends over for a barbeque that afternoon, to celebrate their impending parenthood and Lewis had been out getting more ice when he'd heard the news report. His first thought was to get back to Pepper and he'd already called the rest of the team in when Happy had rung him, letting him know he was on his way as well.

"Oh God, why did I have to fall in love with a hero type?" lamented Greg.

Lewis smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "Just lucky I guess."

"You be careful," Greg ordered him fiercely. "I'm too young to be a widow and black makes me look puffy. Besides, I refuse to listen to your cousin sing Ave Maria at your funeral. That woman sounds like a bull being castrated when she goes for those top notes."

"I'd hate to put you through being puffiness and bad singing, honey," Lewis teased him. "I'll be careful."

"You better be," huffed Greg. He paused briefly and Lewis could just picture him putting on a brave face. "I love you."

"I love you too," responded Lewis warmly as he cut off a taxi and ignored the abuse which was hurled his way. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that, right?"

"Oh God, this sounds like a goodbye speech," said Greg dramatically. "I'm not listening, lalalalala-"

Lewis rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh. "Stop it, you idiot, that wasn't a goodbye speech because I'm not going anywhere. I'm just probably being overly cautious and nothing is going on at the Tower. I'll spend some time in the panic room with Pepper and then I'll be home to cut the cake. Save me a hamburger."

"You're not getting a hamburger," Greg said firmly. "I told you, we're going to get your cholesterol down if it kills you. You'll have a soy burger and enjoy it."

"Doesn't killing me defeat the purpose of low cholesterol results?" asked Lewis wryly as he drove the wrong way up a one way street, because he knew it was going to be faster.

"You know what I mean," said Greg, not backing down.

Lewis half-smiled. "Yeah, I do. I'll see you soon."

"You better."

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper was engrossed in reading some last minute changes in the China detail contract in her office when she glanced up from her lap top to catch a picture of Captain America on her TV screen. "Unmute," she ordered it quickly. After listening for less than a minute to the news reporter, she was reaching for her phone, just as it rang. She hastily answered it when she saw who it was. "Happy?"

"You've seen it?" came the urgent question.

"I'm seeing something," said Pepper unevenly, "but I don't know what it is."

"I'm on my way to you now," said Happy determinedly. "I've already rung Lewis and he's on his way too. You're at the Tower?"

"Yes," said Pepper, her face creased with concern as she watched the images on screen. It seemed like the entire country was in an uproar. People were attempting mass evacuations of the West Coast and Mexico and there was widespread panic.

"Stay there," Happy ordered her.

"I'm not in any danger, Happy," she said distractedly. "It's not like any of the Avengers would ever hurt me, especially Tony."

"Pep, we don't know what is going on with them," said Happy stubbornly. "I don't know if we're looking at doppelgangers, mind control or what, but I do know that someone is looking to take the Avengers down and you're a big part of that. Head down to the panic room and stay there. Lewis and I are going to be there as quickly as we can."

"They're in trouble, Happy," said Pepper in distress, watching the screen in front of her and knowing that there was no way that Tony or any of the Avengers were behind this.

"I know, Pepper," replied Happy grimly, "but the best way we can help them and especially Tony, is to keep you safe. You know that's all he'll care about."

Pepper bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, knowing he was right. "I'm heading to the panic room now."

"Good, I'll be there in a few."

Happy hung up and Pepper walked up to the screen, seeing various images of the Avengers in previous battles along with reruns of Steve's speech. She couldn't comprehend how things had gotten so out of control so quickly. Pepper wrapped her arms around herself and prayed that things weren't as bad as they seemed and that Tony had already figured a way out of this mess.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony fought for control of his suit but he quickly realised it was useless. The nano-bots had taken complete control of it. The only upside was the Mach VIII had protected him from being infected himself. The rest of the Avengers hadn't been so lucky from what Tony could make out with his limited vision. He couldn't turn his head to look unless the nano-bots wanted him to.

"Jarvis, my suit!" exclaimed Tony. There was no answer. "Jarvis!" When there was still no answer Tony quickly reverted to his back up. "Re-route Jarvis relay, code seven alpha niner." Tony waited a split second for the feed which linked him to Jarvis to be redirected. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

The automated unit's cool voice was a welcome sound to Tony and his mind was racing to fill in the blanks here. "Jarvis, the Avenger's Tower?"

"I am no longer able to communicate with the Avenger's Tower, sir."

Tony's heart sank. "You're locked out?"

"Completely, sir, I'm sorry. I am no longer in control of that building."

"I can guess who is," Tony growled. "Jarvis, scan diagnostics on my suit."

"Everything is in working order but control is unable to be accessed."

Tony's jaw hardened as he made a dark promise to himself. "I'm going to kill you, Hammer, and enjoy doing it."

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer stepped out of the limousine and looked up at the Avengers' Tower and smiled. "To the victor goes the spoils," he gloated. He touched the blue tooth in his ear. "Jerry, open her up and tell me where Ms. Potts is."

The doors of the Avenger's Tower slid back and Hammer confidently walked through them into the foyer.

"I've got a visual on her," replied Jerry. "Looks likes she heading towards some kind of panic room."

"Lock her out," Hammer ordered him. "I'd like a chat with Tony Stark's better half and I'm not doing it through a locked door. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I want to see the expression on her face."

"It's done," relayed Jerry.

Hammer waited a moment. "What's she doing now?"

"Looks like she's heading back to her office."

Hammer smiled. "Excellent," he said gleefully.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry blew out the breath he hadn't realised been holding at how happy his boss sounded as he ended the call. A happy boss was always a good thing, particularly in this case. Jerry allowed himself the luxury of relaxing back in his chair for a moment. As he did, he felt the point of something hard pressed against the back of his head. He froze, knowing instinctively, without even having to turn around, that it was the muzzle of a gun.

And today had been going so well.

**oooOOOOooo**

Suddenly Tony was being forced to stand up. He looked out the side of his helmet to see Clint, Natasha, Thor and Steve all standing too and staring ahead blankly. Bruce had stopped transforming and was back to being human. "B!" Tony yelled out. "Are you alright?"

Bruce was unsteady on his feet as he stared at his hands. "I'm not changing," he rasped, looking confused.

"Stark, what's going on?" came Fury's sharp voice in his ear.

"My suit is infected with nano-bots but I'm not," said Tony, quickly taking stock of the situation. "I've got no control over the suit. All the others are infected and I'm assuming, under the same control as Cap except for Bruce, who still seems to be himself."

"Change frequency," Fury ordered him, "code Delta."

Tony quickly changed the frequency of their radio conversation so the others would no longer be able to hear them. "And I think we've found Ghost," he offered up. Tony watched the blonde woman dress in a white jump suit walk confidently up to Bruce. "You stay away from him!" Tony yelled at her.

"Or you'll do what?" Ghost mocked him. "Shout a little louder? We have control of Iron Man suit, Mr. Stark, you're redundant to us now." She turned her attention back to Bruce. "What's the matter, Doctor Banner, I thought you'd be pleased?" Ghost gave a cold smile. "You're desire to stop your transformations have been well documented and now, we've given you your wish. You should be thanking us."

Bruce's face was flushed in anger and he lunged towards the woman but she was too quick for him, shooting him with a taser. Bruce fell to the ground a convulsing mass.

"Son of a bitch!" Tony yelled in outrage at the sight.

Ghost walked up to the twitching Bruce and crouched down beside him, while Tony helplessly watched on. "But you can thank us in other ways," she observed. "The power of the Hulk is still in your DNA and once harvested, that DNA is going to be put to good use."

"The super soldier thing has already been tried, lady," Tony warned her. "And it didn't work. In fact, you could say it ended up being an Abomination."

Ghost's lips curved up in a humourless smile. "An amusing pun, Mr. Stark. I'm well aware of the creature dubbed the Abomination and the misguided science employed by General Ross' team. However, I have something they didn't."

"The nano-bot technology," said Tony grimly.

"Precisely. It's a perfect delivery system which we'll be able to control." Ghost looked down at Bruce who still didn't have control of his body but his eyes were full of horrified anger at the scheme. "You know, Hammer was all about extracting revenge on you, Mr. Stark, and the whole time he was ignoring the goose who could lay the golden egg." She gave a little sniff. "Short sightedness, it's one of his many weakness."

Tony frowned. "Why do I suddenly have the feeling that you and Hammer might not be playing the same game here?"

Ghost stood up as men in black uniforms arrived on the scene and hurried over to her. "That's very astute of you, Mr. Stark," she smirked. "The main difference between myself and Justin Hammer is that I'm not playing." Ghost nodded at the two soldiers, indicating Bruce who was still immobilised at her feet. "Take him."

"Where?" Tony demanded to know. "Where are you taking him? How do you see all of this playing out?"

"What do you expect me to do, Mr. Stark?" she asked sarcastically as Bruce was dragged away. "Outline my plan in every detail so it makes it easier for you to get a step ahead of me?" She gave him a condescending look. "Just what kind of moron would do that?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper hurried into her office, concerned that she'd been unable to gain access to the panic room. She was in the process of calling Happy when she looked up and saw Justin Hammer sitting on the sofa in her office. He'd clearly made himself at home, lounging back into the white sofa, arms stretched out across the back of the sofa, legs crossed in front of him. Pepper scowled at seeing him, stopping dialling. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Hammer shook his head and tutted. "That was a little unfriendly, Pepper."

"I'm not looking to be friendly with you, Justin," she said coldly.

"I've always enjoyed a woman who speaks her mind," he said easily.

"Then you'll love this," said Pepper flatly. "Get out."

Hammer chuckled. "Now, why would I do that when all my hard work is finally bearing fruit?" Just then his cell phone rang and he held up a finger. "Bear with me, sweetheart. I'm expecting an important call."

Pepper just glowered down at him as he answered the phone call.

"Senator Kidston, a pleasure to hear from you as always," said Hammer, speaking loudly into his phone. His smile widened as he listened to the other man speak. "You're making the right decision. The Defenders aren't going to let you down and either will I. I promise you, by the end of today, the Avengers will no longer be a problem." He nodded away. "I'll rally my troops and you do the same. Give the Prez my love and tell him you're all heroes today." Hammer hung up and looked like the cat who'd swallowed the canary. "Sorry 'bout that, you know how it is when the leaders of the free world rely on you so much." He frowned, pretending to think. "Now, where were we?"

Pepper's eyes narrowed as she realised Hammer was looking to brag about whatever he was up to. She knew the Avengers were in trouble, thanks to Hammer, so this might be a way for her to get the inside scoop to perhaps find a way to help Tony and the others. "You were just talking about fruit," she reminded him, "and I was wondering what fruit is that?"

"My just fruits," said Hammer proudly.

Pepper forced herself to be patient. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Justin," she said calmly, walking into the room and taking a seat across from him. "Why don't you help me understand?"

The corner of Hammer's lips curled up in a triumphant smile. "With pleasure, Pepper, because my guess is, right about now, our dear Anthony is starting to put the pieces together for himself. At least, I hope he is, because this plan won't work if he doesn't."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Talk to me, Stark," ordered Fury. "What's happening?"

"They've taken Bruce, I don't know where," said Tony urgently, "and the rest of us are standing on the lab roof."

"And Ghost?"

"She isn't around but she's ordered us to stand here and wait and we can't do a damn thing about it." Tony ground his teeth, frustrated that he was trapped inside his own creation. "It's taking a lot of power to control these nano-bots," Tony calculated, "and I've got Jarvis tracking back the source." His jaw hardened. "But I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is going to be." Before Tony could clarify, Jarvis was talking.

"Sir, I've located the power relay source for the nano-bot technology infecting the Avengers."

"It's the arc reactor in the Avenger's Tower, isn't it?" he quizzed Jarvis.

"Yes, sir."

Tony closed his eyes and pulled a face. "Damn it, I knew it. All those little problems with the systems in the Tower, I knew something wasn't right there. Hammer has managed to infiltrate my building somehow."

"Alright, we know the source, now how do we shut it down?" asked Fury, ever practical.

"If I was there I could-"

"You're not there, Mr. Stark," Fury interrupted him impatiently. "I'm only interested in plans we can actually instigate right now. I've just gotten word a moment ago, the President has approved a full scale attack on the Avengers and it's going to be spear-headed by the Defenders, they're heading your way now."

"They got the memo about the fact we've got a crazy woman willing to pull the switch and launch a few nuclear missiles onto American soil, right?" asked Tony in disbelief.

"I tried to tell them about Ghost and Hammer, but they wouldn't listen because we have no proof. All they see are the Avengers threatening to start a war and kill millions of people. Hammer has promised them that he'll be able to take down the Avengers and stop any launch of the nuclear stockpile."

"Of course he did," Tony ground out, "because he's the one pulling all the strings."

"We're working on getting the proof we need to shut Hammer down," said Fury quickly.

"And you're going to be able to get that proof in time to prevent the next nuclear holocaust?" asked Tony acerbically.

"I have my best man on it," said Fury, not flinching.

"Just in case your best man doesn't come through, I've got a backup plan. I always knew the arc reactor had as much potential for harm as it did for good and I built in a failsafe. I can remotely set up a self-destruct feature to the arc and have it implode. It'll take down the whole tower, but because I've engineered an implosion, rather than an explosion, it's not going to hurt anyone outside the tower. With the arc reactor taken out, Hammer isn't going to be able to control the Avengers anymore and then it'll be time for some good old fashioned ass kicking."

"Do it," Fury ordered him.

Tony scanned the information in front of him. "Way ahead of you, Nicky, I've just got to make one important phone call before I do."

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer's leg kicked back and forth as he laid out his plans for Pepper, clearly relishing in his big reveal. "I know that Tony is one clever guy and he's going to work out where I'm getting the power to run those little nano-bots which are currently making the Avengers conform to my every whim."

Pepper tried not to show any emotion at this information, realising now that was how Hammer was making all of this happen.

Hammer was enjoying centre stage and continued on blithely. "I also know that underneath that devil may care attitude is a man who likes to cover his bases and that he'd have built some kind of self-destruct function into such a powerful tool as the arc reaction." His lips twisted. "I learnt long ago Tony Stark doesn't like others to play with his toys." Hammer shook off his momentary dark mood and was back to grinning like an idiot. "By my calculations, right about now, he's looking at setting off that fail safe and ending my control of the Avengers."

Pepper's chin came up as she regarded him warily. "If you know that your plan is doomed to fail, why did you go ahead with it in the first place, knowing Tony was going to be able to defeat you?"

Hammer threw back his head and gave a false-sounding laugh. "Oh Pepper, Pepper, Pepper, you ask the cutest questions."

"Do I get a cute answer?" she asked coldly.

Hammer stifled his laughter and sent her a self-satisfied look. "But of course, because this is the best part and the reason I had to be here and see it all for myself." He sighed happily, settling back into the sofa more. "And here we have the moment of truth," Hammer gloated. "Sure, Tony can save himself and the rest of the Avengers by taking out the arc reactor but that means he's going to have to sacrifice you to do it, the great love of his life seeing as you're actually sitting on top of the arc reactor and I think we both know that seeing as I have control of the building, you're not going anywhere. The alternative being is that he saves you at the cost of everyone else." Hammer's smile became cold. "Either way this is a win/win for me, you can see that, can't you, Pep? Whatever Tony ultimately chooses, he's going to be crippled with guilt." He leaned closer in to Pepper. "But we both know that Tony is going to choose you, now don't we?"

Pepper's pale features flushed in anger, her natural defiance kicking in. "You're insane and this plan isn't going to work."

"But my plan is already working," shot back Hammer, just as Pepper's cell phone rang. "Case in point, I bet I know who's on the other end of that phone call."

Pepper looked down at the cell phone in her hand and her nerves tightened when she saw the caller ID.

"Answer it," Hammer prompted her in satisfaction. "I'm pretty sure lives depend on it, especially Tony's."

Pepper felt her stomach tighten anxiously as she reluctantly answered the call, hoping against hope that Hammer had gotten this all wrong.

Tony's anxious voice was in her ear. "Pepper, where are you? Tell me you're not still in the Tower?"

Pepper closed her eyes, heart sinking.

Hammer was watching her reaction with cruel pleasure as he nodded approvingly. "Looks like it's time for you to make a decision, Pepper. How fitting is it that you're the one who gets to choose the brand of Tony Stark's ultimate destruction?" Hammer's face lit up. "These are good times to be alive."

Pepper glared death at him, hating the Hammer for what he was doing to them and vowing to make him pay, even as she gathered herself to respond to Tony's urgent question, her decision already made...


	61. Chapter 61

**A/N****: Wow, guys, I've been blown away by all the great reviews about the last chapter – thanks so much. :D**

**This chapter again has a lot going on, with a lot of jumping between scenes, but hey, that's going to be happening for a while with all this action stuff, so I hope it continues to be okay to follow. **

**Okay, so straight into it, let's get this party started...**

**Chapter Sixty - One**

"Pepper?" Tony's urgent saying of her name had Pepper focusing on him.

"Tony, what is it, what's wrong?" She had to play along.

"Just tell me where you are?"

Pepper didn't flinch. "I'm at the coffee shop on the corner, I felt like one of their pastries." Hammer smirked but she ignored him. "Tony, what's happening? What is going on in New Mexico?"

"We've hit a bit of a hiccup," Tony undersold the situation, "but I just need to implode the arc reactor in the Avenger's Tower and take out the relay system. I need to know you're clear, Pepper, are you clear?"

Pepper could hear the desperate concern in Tony's voice and she didn't hesitate. "I told you, I'm at the coffee shop, Tony, do what you have to do."

"And no one else is in the building?"

"No, no one else is in the building."

"You're sure Jane or Happy didn't come back?"

"I'm sure," said Pepper confidently. "The building is clear, just do what you have to do to save yourself and the Avengers," she pleaded with him. "Don't worry about me, Tony."

"That day will never come," he promised her.

"I love you," said Pepper, trying to hold back the emotion in her voice. "Keep yourself in one piece."

"I love you too, Pep. Just stay at the coffee shop and I'll have you in my arms again before you know it."

Pepper gave a sad little smile. "I'm counting on it."

"Gotta go. Stay in the coffee shop, implosion is going to be in five minutes." With that Tony quickly hung up.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony felt some of the tension leave his body at knowing Pepper was safe. As long as she was, he'd be able to think straight because the thought of Pepper in any kind of danger had Tony going crazy. "Jarvis, initiate countdown to implosion."

"Five minutes and counting, sir," replied Jarvis. "It's quite fortunate that you had your priceless art collection moved after that training incident with the Hulk, sir. Many great treasures have been spared."

"They're only things," said Tony dismissively. "The only thing I'm worried about are the people I love, who can't be replaced."

"Of course, sir, I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

Fury's business-like voice was in his ear. "Stark, is the countdown good to go?"

Tony glanced at the countdown on the screen in front of him. "T minus four minutes, thirty-six seconds and counting," he relayed.

"The heli-carrier is on the way to you," Fury informed him.

"But you're not going to get here before the army does," said Tony flatly, as he spied a line of dust off in the horizon which had to be the approaching military force. "And I'm guessing the government told you to stand down anyway."

"I didn't get any transmission along those lines," said Fury calmly, "but we've been having trouble with our phone lines lately, a lot of static."

Tony smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "You know you get me a little bit hot when you bend the rules, right?"

"Don't make me regret trying to save you, Stark," countered Fury dryly.

Tony glanced at the clock. "In less than four minutes, we can save ourselves," he said confidently.

**oooOOOOooo**

Agent Coulson was hunched over his desk, all of his energies focused on the CCTV footage in front of him. The video was of on high speed as Coulson trolled as fast as he could through all the vision of every visitor Hammer had received during his ten month incarceration. There was no way something this complicated and grandiose could have happened without some kind of communication going on between Hammer and his cohorts and if he could just find some footage of one of them, it was going to be a place to start. His eyes narrowed as he watched the speeded up version of multiple visits from Hammer's lawyer, a couple of journalists and the prison chaplain. The images were starting to blur in front of Coulson's eyes, but he refused to give up. He had a hunch and his hunches were rarely wrong, so he continued in his frantic search, very well aware of how many lives hung in the balance as he did.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper glanced at her watch, less than five minutes to implosion. That wasn't a lot of time. She lifted her head at the sound of slow clapping. Pepper gave him a cold look for his enjoyment of the whole situation.

Hammer finished his slow clap and stood up, a self-satisfied look plastered all over his face. "Very noble of you I'm sure," he observed, "but now I get to enjoy the expression on Tony's face when he realises that he's killed his precious Pepper by his own actions."

"Aren't you forgetting you're in the building too?" she asked him icily.

Hammer grinned. "Aren't you forgetting I can walk out of here anytime?" he returned sweetly. "I do have control of this building, unlike you, honey. All I've got to do is get downstairs and cross the street, I'll have time to order a coffee while I wait."

"You're not going to win, you know that, right?" said Pepper bitterly.

Hammer made a show of looking confounded. "Actually, Pepper, I'm pretty sure I did just win. Try and pay better attention, won't you? At least for the next, say, five minutes? My intel tells me that's how long the self-destruct sequence on the arc reactor is set for."

"You're not going to win because you're not a winner," Pepper finished off coldly. "You fail at everything you do, Hammer, and this is going to be no different. Tony is going to win out in this little game of yours and he's going to do that because he's better than you in every way." Pepper watched a muscle in Hammer's cheek tick wildly as his face tightened in anger and she knew she'd hit a nerve.

"I think today has proved that isn't true," said Hammer tightly. "I'm Tony's arch nemesis, the man who is ultimately going to bring the big man down to his knees before killing him and leaving the better man standing, once and for all."

"You think you're Tony's arch nemesis?" asked Pepper in disbelief. She looked him over in disdain. "Tony thinks you're a joke, Hammer, when he thinks of you at all."

"He's thinking of me now!" Hammer threw back at her, losing control for the first time. He looked away, obviously trying to get himself in check. Hammer drew in a long breath as he smoothed back his hair and looked back at Pepper. "He's thinking of me now," he repeated, more calmly this time. Hammer forced a smile and waggled his finger at her. "I know what you're doing, Virginia Potts, you're trying to get me mad so I lose track of time and share you're fate." Hammer snorted. "Not going to happen. You and Tony have always underestimated me and now you're going to reap what you've sowed. Enjoy your martyrdom, Pepper," said Hammer snidely. "It couldn't have happened to a nicer person." He then went to triumphantly sweep out of the room but the door was locked. Hammer fumbled with the door for a moment, refusing to look back at Pepper as his big exit was ruined. "Jerry," he hissed, "open the door."

"I can't, sir," said Jerry regretfully.

"Of course you can," Hammer ground out, "you have complete control of the building."

There was a nervous clearing of the throat. "Ah, about that, sir…"

Pepper watched the changing emotions on Hammer's face with interest. Clearly this wasn't part of the plan.

"What?" bit out Hammer.

"Umm, there's been a slight change of plans, sir," said Jerry apologetically. "I'm sorry, but you're no longer in control."

"If I don't have control, then who does?" he ground out.

"I do."

The confident female voice coming over the building PA system was a new one to Pepper and she frowned.

Hammer turned around and looked concerned. "Ghost? What are you doing? This isn't part of the plan."

"This was always part of my plan," she returned coolly. "You've outlived your usefulness to me, Justin. This is where we part ways."

"What?" gasped Hammer in horror. His face flushed in anger. "Jerry, I'm your employer, I plucked you from obscurity and set you up like a king! I don't care what this crazy bitch is offering you, I can double it, triple it, just open the door!"

Ghost's reply almost sounded amused. "I'm offering Jerry his life, aren't I, Jerry?"

Jerry's reply was very stressed. "There's a gun pointed at my head right now, so, umm, yeah, I'm feeling like Ghost is making the better offer right now. Sorry, Mr. Hammer."

"You coward!" Hammer raged.

"I can live with that," replied Jerry simply.

Hammer changed tactics. "Why are you doing this, Ghost?" he pleaded with her. "We had a good thing going on."

Ghost's reply was incredulous. "Did you really think I was planning on being your lackey forever?"

Hammer thought about that. "Yes," he said at last, "yes I did. It's a good gig. Tell her, Jerry."

"It's a good gig."

"Shut up, Jerry," snapped Hammer unreasonably, "you're getting me killed."

"Again, I'm real sorry about that, boss," said the ever apologetic Jerry. "Truth be told, I don't want anyone to die." He paused. "Especially me."

Pepper folded her arms and gave Hammer an unimpressed look. "Is it just me, or are you making a habit out of collaborating with people more insane then yourself and then getting shafted in the process?"

"That isn't what this is!" he shouted at her defensively.

Ghost was on Pepper's side. "This is exactly what this is, only I'm not insane, Ms. Potts, just highly motivated about getting what I want."

"But what you want is insane," Pepper threw back at her. She scowled. "Why would you want to kill so many people?"

"It's not a matter of want, it's a matter of necessity," countered Ghost. "I've never been one to sweat the little things."

Pepper was horrified. "Millions of people's lives aren't little things!"

"It's all about perspective," said a dismissive Ghost. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have a war to oversee."

"Ghost, you stop this right now!" Hammer ordered her but there was no reply. He looked up desperately. "Jerry? Jerry, answer me!"

Pepper shook her head, almost amused at how quickly the suave, in control persona of Hammer had given way to this sweating mess. "They've hung up. We're on our own."

Hammer was wide-eyed as panic started to set in. "We have to get out of here!"

"I take it back," said Pepper sarcastically. "I guess you are a genius." She watched as Hammer frantically tried the door again, but it still wouldn't open.

"Stand back!" he ordered her. "I'm going to kick the door down."

Pepper knew that wasn't possible because the door was specially reinforced and designed to stay intact even with a close range detonation of an incendiary device. She didn't bother to tell Hammer that, instead she derived some grim pleasure of watching him attempt to kick the door down and nearly break his leg in the process.

"Oh God!" he howled, hopping around and clutching at his leg.

"There is no way out of this office," said Pepper completely unsympathetic to his plight. She glanced at her watch, just over a minute to go. "Even if we could, we couldn't clear the building in time." Pepper had said the words but they didn't seem quite possible that in one more minute, she was going to be dead. A strange calm settled over her as she knew her sacrifice was going to save Tony's life and that was all that mattered.

Hammer was now hobbling around the office, still in panic mode. "No," he babbled, "I can still make it, I'm not going to die this way." He grabbed Pepper's chair from behind her desk and before she could stop him, threw it at the large glass window which covered half of her wall. The bullet proof glass, especially designed by the overly cautious Tony intent on protecting Pepper from any conceivable threat, did its job. The office chair bounced off the glass like it was rubber and promptly slammed into Hammer's face, knocking him to the ground.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "My last minute on earth and I get to spend it with one of the Three Stooges, brilliant."

"I think I broke my nose," said Hammer weakly from underneath the chair.

"Oh right," said Pepper in annoyance, "I'll get right on that, shall I?"

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry's stomach tightened as he saw the video feed footage from the garage and the blonde man climbing out of the car. "Oh crap," he said weakly.

The heavy set man sitting on the chair behind him, gun pointed at his back now. "Problem?"

"No, no," said Jerry hastily. He swallowed hard, knowing he'd have to tell Ghost. The woman scared him more than Hammer did. At least Hammer had moments of humanity, Ghost didn't even have that. "Ah, ma'am, ah, Ghost?"

"What is it?" came the terse reply.

"It seems I accidentally left the garage door open," said Jerry fearfully, "and someone has driven in." He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. "Please don't kill me."

Ghost didn't seem too concerned. "Lock the garage down."

Jerry leapt to do her bidding, still extremely conscious of the hardness pressed between his shoulder blades. "Yes, ma'am." His fingers tapped on the keyboard, activating the heavy gate of the garage to drop from the entrance way ceiling, closing down the only exit/entrance to the garage. Jerry's eyes went wide as another car speed up to the gates from the outside, racing to get inside before the gate dropped completely down. It didn't look like he was going to make it, but at the last moment, the black car scrapped in, the top of the car catching the bottom of the gate and scraping all along it. The car sped into the garage and spun around, in an impressive display of control. "Oh crap," said Jerry shakily.

"What is it now, Jerry?" asked an impatient Ghost.

He winced and braced himself. "Another car just got into the garage," he confessed.

"It's of no importance, activate the security on that level."

"Yes, ma'am, doing it now," said Jerry, eager to please if it meant not ending up dead. "Security activated."

**oooOOOOooo**

Happy climbed out of his car, scowling at the scratched and buckled painted metal which used to be his roof. "Man, I just got through detailing it." He glared at Lewis, who'd rushed over to see if he was okay. "Why did you close the gate?"

"I didn't," said Lewis, looking concerned.

Happy blinked at that information. "That's not giving me a warm feeling inside."

"We have to get to Pepper," said Lewis determinedly. "Something about this isn't right."

Happy didn't argue, just immediately went to follow him. They'd only taken a few steps towards the elevator doors when the security sensor was activated and they were being fired upon by lasers. The two of them leapt out of the way, Lewis skidding over the top of his car and sinking down to hide behind it. Happy had gone the other way, bolting over the top of the Rolls Royce town car and hunkering down behind it. "Lewis, you okay, buddy?" he called out.

"No, now I'm kinda pissed," came back the reply from behind the other car. "I hate it when things try to kill me."

"I feel your pain," agreed Happy. "We need to get to Pepper, this isn't good. I think she's in danger and there is no back up coming with Cody and John, now that the garage is locked down."

"Any ideas about how we do that?"

Happy hesitated. "Give me a minute, it'll come to me."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Thirty seconds to go," said Tony triumphantly as he watched the clock tick away. He was itching to get into this fight and also keen to avert going to war with the US military forces. They were on the same side and none of the Avengers would willingly take innocent lives, which was what was going to happen if he didn't get them out from under the control of the nano-bots. "Come on," he muttered under his breath, willing the countdown to go faster. "Let's do this already."

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper ignored the tangled, whimpering mess which was Justin Hammer caught up in office furniture and went to sit on her favourite chair in the room, the one she'd bought with Tony on a rare shopping trip with him. She'd argued the art deco chair was beautiful but Tony had said it was ugly and looked like people used to be executed in it. Tony said he'd rather sit on the floor then have something that ugly in his building, but when she'd walked into her office the next morning, the very expensive chair was sitting there waiting for her. Pepper settled back into the white chair, imagining it was Tony's arms around her as she closed her eyes and pictured Tony's face smiling at her in her mind's eye. "Tony," she whispered, a hot tear escaping one closed eyelid as she accepted her fate, "Tony, I love you."

10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5...

**A/N****: And oh yeah, it's another cliffhanger... I recommend you all get used to that for the next five or so chapters. ;) **


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N****: And here we go, another lengthy update. :D Trying to keep the flow and energy up as much as possible for you all. **

**I'm so pleased/relieved with the response to all of this showdown stuff and I'm glad it seems to be working for folks. It was a big gamble on my part and I'm happy it seems to be paying off so far. One of my reviewers mentioned about who would build a nuclear laboratory on a fault line with nearby volcanic fields... well, unfortunately the US government would because the LANL is a real place and is situated exactly near both of those things. Fingers crossed nothing ever does go wrong there. I'm sure there are multiple fail safes in place, but still, it kinda makes you a little toey if you think about it too much. **

**Okay, I know you're all probably anxious to see what comes next and we did leave Pepper, Happy and Lewis in a pretty precarious position... so I guess we'd better see what happens next, hmm? **

**Thanks for reading as always, guys. :D **

**Chapter Sixty-Two**

3... 2... 1...

Pepper tensed but as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, she opened her eyes and looked around, confused. She stood up as the realisation that the implosion wasn't happening, a mixture of emotions running through her. While she was happy not to be dead, this also meant that Tony and the others were still in deep danger.

Hammer too seemed to realise they weren't going to die just yet as he unsteady climbed to his feet, a dawning look of joy on his face. "I'm alive!" he exclaimed in delight. Hammer hurried over to where Pepper was standing and threw his arms around her in a hug of celebratory happiness. "Thank God, I'm alive!"

Pepper didn't even have to think about it. She balled her fist and drew it back, ramming it into Hammer's midsection without hesitation. He crumbled over, the breath leaving his lungs in a noisy hiss.

**oooOOOOooo**

3... 2... 1...

Tony was at the ready, waiting for the nano-bots to relinquish control of his suit, but the moment never came. "Jarvis?" he snapped. "What's happening, why don't I have control?"

"The implosion never happened, sir," said the apologetic Jarvis.

Tony's mind was whirling at a great speed, trying to work out what had gone wrong when Ghost chose that moment to walk out onto the roof.

She walked up to him and smiled. "Face mask," she ordered the nano-bots and Tony's Iron Man mask slid back to reveal his face. Ghost observed it in satisfaction. "I wanted to see the expression on your face," she noted and nodded. "That was pretty much how I imagined it." Ghost arched an eyebrow. "As you can see, Mr. Stark, I still retain full control of the nano-bots and by extension, your suit. Did you really think we didn't know about your fail safe? The nano-pedes have infiltrated all systems within the Avengers' Tower and we know all of its secrets."

Tony's jaw hardened, but he didn't speak, just glared at her.

"Hammer was short sighted enough to happily allow the demolition of the Tower and relinquish control of the Avengers but I'm not." Ghost looked disdainful. "He thought it was enough your reputation would be in shreds and the Avengers would be backed into a corner in having to fight the Defenders and the military."

"But you didn't," ground out Tony.

"Let's just say I don't like to leave things to chance," she said coolly. "Retaining control of the Avengers means I'm assured of the outcome of this upcoming war and I also have the perfect scapegoats to hang the fallout on."

"And what kind of fallout are we talking about here?" Tony asked sharply.

"That's really no concern of yours, Mr. Stark, I just wanted you to understand that there is no way out of this. I have covered every possible contingency. Your fate is sealed."

"You know what they say about pride coming before a fall," said Tony darkly.

Ghost leaned in closer, holding his gaze steadily. "I do believe you're on the wrong end of that idiom, Mr. Stark. You thought you were untouchable, that your genius would always win out in the end. You took your dominance as a God given right in controlling everything around you. Look around you now." She swept a hand at the immobile Avengers and the approaching army. "This is your fall, Mr. Stark, not mine." Ghost straightened up. "Visor, close," she ordered the nano-bots and once again Tony was sealed inside of his suit. Ghost half-smiled. "Kind of ironic that one of your precious Iron Man suits is going to end up being your tomb, Mr. Stark, but then, I suspect you always knew that was the way things were going to end."

"It's not over yet," he warned her, pushing down his anger so that the woman wouldn't see that she'd gotten to him.

"It is for you and for everyone you care about." Ghost turned on her heel and walked up to Natasha. "Black Widow, stand guard at the nuclear weapons, be ready to activate them when I give the command."

Natasha didn't answer, just immediately moved to comply, heading towards the door leading off the roof.

"Activating those weapons is going to be suicide," Tony warned her. "You're going to kill yourself in the process, Ghost."

Ghost gave him a disinterested look. "I appreciate your concern for my well being, Mr. Stark, but let me worry about the details."

"Whatever your endgame here is, is it really worth killing millions of people for?" asked Tony angrily.

Ghost looked straight at him. "Yes," she said simply before walking away.

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer looked up at Pepper with hurt-filled eyes as he tried to suck in his next breath. "Why did you do that?" Hammer whined.

Pepper stepped back and looked down at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

Once again Hammer clambered unsteadily to his feet, leaning on her desk with one arm to steady himself. "Come on, Pepper, so we've got a little bad history between us, it doesn't mean you have to be ungracious."

"That bad history was you trying to kill me and it was only a few minutes ago," she snapped. "So, yeah, I'm going to be a bit ungracious about it."

"Look," said Hammer indignantly, "I'm the victim here too, you know." Pepper's fist balled again and Hammer hastily backed up. "Don't hit me again, okay?"

"Nothing about this okay," Pepper threw back at him angrily. "And you're not a victim, you're an idiot!"

Hammer straightened up and smoothed down his coat jacket. "I think name calling is a bit childish at this point."

Pepper looked away and tried to compose herself when all she wanted to do was hit him again and again but then she didn't want to waste the energy on a man like Hammer. "I'm getting out of here, I have to shut down the arc reactor." She sent Hammer a determined look. "And you're going to help me."

Hammer straightened his glasses. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. I'm going to stay here where it's nice and safe."

Pepper folded her arms in front of herself. "And who says you're safe here?" she pointed out. "This Ghost person clearly stopped the detonation of the arc reactor because she wants to retain control of the Avengers. She's been a step ahead of you the whole way and you think she's just going to let you live, is that it? Ghost doesn't seem like a person who likes to leave loose ends and you're definitely that, Hammer."

Hammer looked concerned. "I don't think Ghost would kill me."

"You didn't think she'd turn on you either," said Pepper impatiently. "And weren't you planning on killing her at some point?"

"Well, yes," admitted Hammer blithely, "but that's entirely different."

Pepper gritted her teeth in annoyance at the other man's narcissism. "Where did you even find this lunatic anyway?"

Hammer looked happy to be talking about himself. "Interesting story that. I hand-picked her myself. She turned up at the prison, just after I was incarcerated, wanting to let me know she was a fan of my work and telling me she believed in my innocence. I hired her on the spot as my personal assistant." Hammer smiled and seemed to have momentarily forgotten how bad of a choice that had turned out to be. "Ghost is my Pepper Potts, if you will. I quickly found out she was quite brilliant and put her to work on realising my ultimate dreams of self-vindication."

"So, she found you," interpreted Pepper flatly.

Hammer looked taken aback. "Ah, no, I found her."

"Any idiot can see Ghost came to visit you with the intent on getting access to your resources," said Pepper impatiently. "Which she did when you made her your personal assistant."

"That isn't what happened," said Hammer but he didn't look very sure now.

"Of course it was," said Pepper tersely. "The woman used you while letting you think you were using her. You played right into her hands and I'm pretty certain she doesn't have any use for you anymore, and that doesn't mean good news for you."

Hammer pouted as Pepper's words seemed to finally sink in. "This is all so unfair."

Pepper's lips thinned, not interested in Hammer's pity party. "Do you have any idea what her game plan might be?" She eyed him disapprovingly. "What was yours?"

"Just to take down the Avengers and emotionally devastate Tony Stark with the loss of you so that he became an empty shell of a man in constant agony. I'd make him watch me take up residence in the White House as the beloved saviour of the American people before ultimately killing him but only after he knew that I was better in him in every possible way." He shrugged. "You know, nothing too big."

"How can you be even more of an idiot then what I already think you are?" Pepper asked incredulously. "That plan was evil and sick!"

"It was what I was owed," Hammer defended himself unapologetically. "Aren't you sick of Tony Stark always winning, of him never suffering any consequences in his life and always thinking he's God's gift to the universe? Aren't there moments when you'd like to see the guy taken down a peg or two?" Hammer didn't wait for an answer. "I know there are Pepper, don't lie to me. I was just doing what you secretly wish you could do. I know what it's like to always be an afterthought in the great Tony Stark's life and I know you understand where I'm coming from. Admit it."

Pepper's mouth had dropped open as she struggled to follow Hammer's insane reasoning. "You're delusional," she ground out at last.

He jabbed a triumphant finger at her. "And I'm not hearing you disagreeing with me."

"Whatever rambling self-justifications you want to tell yourself, just leave me out of them," Pepper threw back at him. "I believe in Tony, I always have and I know he's going to work out a way to take down this Ghost and I'm going to do everything in my power to help him." Her cell phone rang and she answered it quickly. "Tony?"

"It's Lewis, are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm in my office and I'm fine," she replied hastily. "Where are you?"

"Happy and I are in the garage but we're having a bit of trouble getting to you. The security system is malfunctioning and firing on us."

"It's not a malfunction," Pepper filled him in. "The building is being controlled externally by a woman called Ghost. The Tower has been infiltrated by some kind of nano-technology and it's taken over the arc reactor which is in turn controlling the nano-bots which the Avengers are infected with. She's controlling them all. Hammer was behind the whole thing and is with me now. He wants to kill Tony and the Avengers."

"Hammer is with you?" asked Lewis in horror. "What's he doing?"

Pepper looked over at where Hammer was dabbing at his bloody nose. "Bleeding," she offered up casually.

Lewis' tone was urgent. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I told you, I'm fine, but we have to save the Avengers. We have to shut down the arc reactor." Pepper looked up at the ceiling. "And I think I have a way of doing that."

**oooOOOOooo**

Lewis hung up and turned to a worried Happy. They were both hiding behind his car now.

"Tell me I didn't just hear you say Hammer is with Pepper," Happy requested of him grimly.

"She seems to have him under control," said Lewis regretfully, "but yeah, I'm not loving the scenario either." He quickly filled Happy in on the situation.

"So, we need to get to the arc reactor," Happy summarised.

Lewis nodded. "And we're a lot closer being in the garage. The arc reactor is on the next floor, Pepper is on the twentieth floor, it's going to take her time to get down to it, especially if the elevators are out of the question."

Happy peeked his head over the top of the car and was rewarded with a laser burst for his troubles. He ducked down again quickly. "Yeah, but we've got our own issues," he pointed out.

"When I took the security detail job for Pepper, I made sure I had a comprehensive understanding of all of the security stand bys in the Tower," said Lewis. "These lasers are heat sensitive, they're picking up our body heat and focusing in on that."

"We need to take them out," observed Happy. "We can't make it to the stairs or the elevator while they're working."

"I know where the control box is." He pointed over the left of the elevator, where there was a box mounted on the wall. One of us just needs to pull the fuse."

"The pulling the fuse is no problem, the not being fried on the way to doing it, that's more of an issue." Happy motioned at the lasers mounted above the elevator. "Even if we both take a run at it, we're too far away, it'll have time to take us both out."

Lewis looked around to see what they could use to help them get there. "If we drive up in one of the cars-"

"The laser is going to blow them up," Happy finished. "An exploding car will ignite the rest of the cars down here and I don't fancy being around if that happens, not to mention what it's going to do to the infrastructure of the Tower."

Lewis' brow was furrowed in concentration. "There has to be a way out of this." He caught sight of a trolley used for unloading suitcases over in the corner of the garage, an idea coming to him. "I have a plan." He looked at Happy. "You're not going to like it," he predicted.

Happy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, didn't see that coming."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony watched the military forces taking up a defensive line in front of the LANL. There had to be at least five thousand soldiers marshalling in front of them, along with various tanks and Tony could see rocket launches being set up. Surely they weren't going to be desperate enough to launch rockets at a nuclear facility? Tony knew it was more likely their intent to be able to shoot up into the air considering half of the Avengers could fly, but it still made him very uneasy to have that much fire power near a nuclear stockpile. "Damn it," he muttered, "how did they get so many troops here so quickly?"

Fury had the answer. "We got unlucky, they were doing manoeuvres nearby and there are more on the way, including air support."

"These people are going to get themselves killed," Tony worried. "I couldn't take out the arc reactor, Ghost still has control of the Avengers."

"So I see."

Tony blew out a frustrated breath. There had to be a way out of this, there had to be. "Think, damn it, think," he ordered himself.

**oooOOOOooo**

Abner Jenkins was doing the final checks of his Beetle armour, making sure he was ready for the job ahead. He and the rest of the Defenders were on a military carrier, being ferried to Los Alamos and they were minutes away from their target. Abner was excited to go up against the Avengers and really test his metal. He didn't know why the Avengers were doing this, but he did know the Defenders were the ones to stop them.

"Little man," grunted Alexis as he was hunkered down on one of the benches, "stand still. You move too much."

"I'm checking my suit," responded Abner. "I like to be prepared."

"Rhino always prepared," said Alexis proudly, pounding on his chest and indicating his in-built armour.

Abner looked him over. "Yeah, but can you ever find a suit that fits?"

Rhino's eyes narrowed menacingly. "You make joke at Alexis' expense. Alexis no like."

"Shut up, you two," Blizzard admonished them. "We've got an incoming from the boss lady."

A holographic image of Ghost appeared in front of them all and she instantly had their attention. "Are you all suited up and ready?"

"Born ready, Ghost," said Abner happily, "you should know that by now."

Ghost ignored his familiarity. "We'll begin the attack on the Avengers as soon as you are in position. Keep the battle in plain sight and make sure you head to the underground bunkers when I give you the word."

Ghost had already told them about the underground nuclear bunkers in a previous communication but he wasn't sure why they were going to need them. "Isn't the idea to stop the Avengers setting off the nuclear weapons?" he asked hesitantly.

"The Avengers aren't going to set off the nuclear weapons, we are," she offered up coolly.

Abner couldn't help but be shocked. "What?" He looked around at the others but they didn't seem to be registering the same disbelief. "Why are we doing that? Isn't the point to save people's lives?"

"The point is to gain control of the military forces and the only way to do that is to throw them into chaos and have the reeling government hand over control to us," Ghost informed him offhandedly.

"But-but, people are going to die," said Abner, feeling his stomach tighten.

"You joined the Defenders because you wanted the fame, glory, power and fortune that you felt were owed to you," Ghost reminded him. "True greatness isn't achieved without true sacrifice and the way for all of us to secure our power over this country is to first put it at risk, so we can then save it." Ghost looked directly at him with her cold, dead eyes. "We're killing the few to save the many. This government has failed its people and we're going to establish a new order today." Her eyes narrowed. "Do you have a problem with that, Jenkins?"

Abner looked around at the other Defenders who didn't seem the least fazed by this latest revelation. "I guess not," he said slowly, a sick feeling building in his stomach.

"Good," said Ghost, "now get ready, it's almost show time." Her image disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.

Abner joined the rest of the Defenders as they stood up, ready and waiting at the entrance of the carrier. He put his helmet on to disguise his sudden reluctance to do this.

This was not what he'd signed on for.

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer stood looking up at Pepper as she, in turn, stood on her desk, stretching up to the ceiling. "I don't like this plan," he said yet again.

"Shut up," she snapped at him. "You don't get a vote."

"You can't make me come with you," Hammer argued.

"Fine," said Pepper with disinterest as she went up on tip toes to pull out the air conditioning vent cover, "stay here. I'm sure Ghost will appreciate you making it so easy for her men to find you and kill you."

"This is all so unfair," he grumbled.

Pepper sent him a death glare. "If you say that one more time, I'll kill you myself. We're getting into this vent, we're crawling out of this office and to the nearest set of stairs. We're then heading down to the arc reactor and you can tell me how to turn off those damn nano things of yours."

Hammer grimaced. "That may not be so easy."

"You keep telling me you're the master mind behind all of this," said Pepper shortly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." She grabbed the edge of the vent, grateful for all the work outs for her upper body of late, and pulled herself up into the vent. Pepper crawled into the small, dark space and called back to her unwilling companion. "Hammer, get yourself up here, _now_! I'm not telling you again."

There was the sound of him clambering up onto her desk as well. "I bet you never tell Tony what to do all the time," she heard him grumble.

"Of course I do," said Pepper sharply, already starting to crawl forward, "why do you think he's still alive."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Stark, we need a plan," observed Fury. "There are a lot of lives at stake here."

"I know that," said Tony in frustration, "but our arsenal right now kinda amounts to pithy rejoinders and angry looks and quite frankly, that's not cutting it."

"Not quite."

Tony's eyes went wide in amazement as he heard the familiar voice. "Romanoff, is that you?"

"Yes."

"How are you talking to us?" asked a disbelieving Tony. He knew Ghost had ordered her to the armoury and concluded that must be where she was now.

"I changed frequencies when you did, I've been waiting for an opportunity to talk, unobserved."

"But why aren't you affected by the nano-bots?" Tony quizzed her.

There was the briefest of pauses. "I have a few ideas, but none of them are important now. What's important is taking back control of the Avengers and saving lives."

Tony felt a rush of adrenaline at knowing he had someone on the ground on his side. He nodded approvingly, ideas coming to him already. "Alright, now this is party."

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry grimaced at the images coming from the security cameras at the Avengers' Tower. He made a reluctant call. "Um, excuse me, ma'am."

"What?"

Her tone was impatient but Jerry knew he had to keep going, the consequences of not relaying what he was seeing being potentially dire. "Ah, ma'am, Mr. Hammer and Ms. Potts have climbed up into the air conditioning ducts and are heading towards the stairwell. I think they're planning on getting to the arc reactor."

"Then stop them."

"Ma'am?"

"Activate the Mach VII suit," she said tersely. "Have it atomise anything which comes in view of the arc reactor."

Jerry's shoulders sagged. More death and destruction. "Yes, ma`am," he complied and pressed a few buttons in front of him. Jerry watched the screen for the cameras located in the lab, as the Mach VII Iron Man suit busted out of its reinforced containment unit and strode purposefully towards the door. Jerry opened the door for it, letting the suit head down to the arc reactor to stand guard. He looked back at Pepper and Hammer crawling along the ducts. Jerry grimaced and shook his head. Those two were heading towards their death and there was nothing he could do about it.

This day seemed set to get worse by the moment with no end in sight...


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N****: Wow, this one took me a while to write. It's over 4500 words, so I guess that's part of it, but also having to write so much description always slows me down, plus I've been working out some nitty gritty for all of these scenes. It's quite complex but hopefully won't come across as too confusing as you read it. **

**Now, before we get into it, just to answer one of my guest reviewers who asked if I was planning on any more stories after this... well, I'm not sure. I'm tossing up whether to do a separate story with all the epilogues for these s/l's or to just add them into this story. I've also got an Avenger's Halloween story kicking around in my head which might be a bit of fun but again, I'm not sure I'll have this story done by then. So, in answer to your question – I don't know. There, helpful, wasn't it? LOL **

**Anyways, I've kept you waiting long enough for this chapter, so here it is. The tension is hopefully building as we go along and I'm not even going to guess how many more chapters there are to go to get us through this – I simply have no idea. **

**Hope you enjoy and thank you all again for your amazing reviews, I just wish there were enough minutes in the day to answer them all right away. :D **

**Chapter Sixty-Three**

Bruce was slowly regaining control of his body as his hands were cuffed behind him by the two Ghost goons who'd dragged him away. It was too late to do anything to stop them by then, but that didn't stop Bruce from struggling against the handcuffs. They were standing at the back entrance of the laboratory and both men took an arm each of his and dragged him forward.

The man on his left spoke into his comlink. "The package is acquired, ready for pick up."

"Where are you taking me?" Bruce growled, struggling against them but being outmanned by the two guards. He could feel the anger and rage bubbling up inside of him but instead of the Hulk bursting forth, it was like this thick wall between them. A part of Bruce could still hear the creature roaring in his head, but it was unable to break through the prison the nano-bots had created for it. The irony didn't escape Bruce that for all those years he'd been looking to find a way to cage the Hulk and now it was happening at the worst possible time. The two men didn't answer his question but off in the distance Bruce could hear the familiar sound of chopper blades approaching. He struggled harder, trying to free himself even as the beast inside struggled for its own freedom, both to no avail. Bruce roared in frustrated anger and there was the echo of the Hulk doing the same inside his head, but that's all it was, an echo. His stomach tightened as the possibility of his worst fear drew closer that the creature inside of him was going to be used as a weapon of mass destruction and there was nothing Bruce could do to stop it.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Where are you?"

Tony's urgent question was in Natasha's ear.

"Are you at the nuclear vault?"

Natasha looked around. "Yes."

"Can you see the launch pad?"

Natasha was scanning the complicated series of monitors and control boards in front of her, the ones that were in a little room attached to the vault. "I'm looking."

"Hurry up," Tony urged her. "This thing with the military is looking to get real any minute now."

"I'm aware of that," said Natasha, not breaking in her methodical search of the system lay out. "Don't rush the miracle worker, you'll get a lousy miracle."

"Speaking of miracles, why is it that you're not a mindless automaton again?"

Natasha's lips thinned, not wanting to answer Tony. She'd felt the nano-bots invade her body along with the others but unlike the others, they'd seemed unable to take control of her. Natasha had instantly suspected it was her brain tumour which was preventing the nano-bots seizing control of her brain entirely but wasn't prepared to share that with Tony right then. The why wasn't important, it was the what she was going to do with her free will which was. The irony of the situation was almost poetic in nature. The very thing which was threatening to kill her was turning out to be the thing which could save her. Natasha glanced back at the nuclear stockpile behind her, at least in the short term. A brain tumour was going to be the least of her worries if Ghost was allowed to launch these nuclear weapons. "It didn't take over Bruce," she hedged.

"I'm pretty sure that was because those nano-bots were already designed to seek out his gamma altered DNA in the first place," Tony countered. "They were always going to react differently to Bruce because Ghost wanted them to. She's got bigger plans for our big guy and they're not pretty. You're the wild card though, Romanoff, you not being able to be controlled by the nano-bots is something Ghost wouldn't be planning on at all."

"And that's something we're going to use to our advantage," Natasha said calmly, hoping to distract the dogged Tony. "I've found the launch console." She instantly dropped to her knees and looked under the console. "I can see how to disconnect it."

"Do it," Tony ordered her. "That's one less thing we have to worry about."

Natasha quickly pried open the casing around the delicate electronics and pulled out wires and fuses. There was no need to be subtle because it wasn't going to accidentally launch the nuclear weapons if she pulled the wrong one. She felt something splatter on the ground as she worked, hunched under the console. Natasha looked down to see a few spots of blood on the floor and immediately put a hand to her nose. She wiped away fresh blood which was dripping for her nose and grimaced. The nano-bots may not have been able to take control of her, but they clearly weren't doing her body the world of good. Natasha wiped at her nose again, not having time to worry about that right then. She needed to make sure no launch codes were ever going to get those missiles sky borne and then she was going to get to work saving the Avengers.

Whatever it took because at this point, it looked like she had nothing to lose.

**oooOOOOooo**

"I can't believe I lost the toss," said Happy from behind blue lips. He was kneeling on the trolley they used to move suitcases around and shaking uncontrollably. The trolley had a low, flat base with wheels like a shopping cart and a backboard with handles for steering. The reason for his current shaking was the fact he had bags of ice poured all over him and stacked up against him. Happy could feel the ice cubes slowly melting against him as they were shoved down his pants and shirt and gave a shudder as icy water trickled into nooks and crannies.

"We don't have time to make it best of three," Lewis argued as he dumped the last of his bags of ice into a spare towel he had in his trunk, twisted it over and then started to tie it to Happy's head. "We're just lucky I had all of this ice in the car."

"Is that really necessary?" asked Happy, already feeling like he was frozen all the way through.

"You lose a lot of heat through your head," Lewis countered as he made sure the ice-filled towel was securely on Happy's head. "We don't want those heat sensors picking up any heat signatures from you at all, otherwise the consequences could be messy."

Happy blinked, starting to feel out of it. "I'm getting brain freeze."

"You just have to hold it together for long enough for me to shunt you over to the control box and you can pull the fuse." Lewis was wheeling him over to a wall which lined up directly with the fuse box while making sure to keep out of the way of the deadly lasers. "The detectors shouldn't be able to pick up you're coming and to make sure, I'll distract them." Lewis reversed over to where there was a large water pipe running against the wall. He sat on it, back against the wall and rested his feet against the backboard of the trolley, ready to push Happy as hard as he could across the space between them and the fuse box. "We've got to hurry, before the ice melts." Lewis braced himself, settling himself into a good position and ready to put as much force as he could into launching Happy across the garage. "Are you ready?"

"Let's do this thing," chattered Happy. "I'm not going to get any colder. My testicles are already lodged in the back of my throat as it is."

Lewis couldn't help but smile as he tensed up, ready to push. "Okay, here we go, three, two-"

"Wait!" said Happy suddenly.

Lewis hesitated. "What?"

He looked back round at him. "Just in case this goes horribly wrong, can you make up something cool for me to have said?" asked Happy anxiously. "I don't want my last words in this world to have testicles in them."

"You got it, buddy," Lewis promised him. "I'll think of something noble with little to no references to balls, except for maybe the size of them."

Happy looked back towards the fuse box and grimaced. "No, don't do that, because at the moment they're the size of currants."

"It's called poetic licence," Lewis reassured him. "Are you ready now?"

"As ready as anyone ever is for almost certain death," said Happy resolutely.

"This is going to work."

"It better, you still owe me money from our last poker night."

"I'm good for it."

"Says the guy about to push me in front of lasers of death," said Happy dryly.

"It's fifty bucks, Hogan," Lewis chided him as he settled himself more securely in position. "My normal rule is to only kill for amounts of one hundred dollars and over."

"Good to know for future reference." Happy hunkered himself down. "Okay, I'm ready, let's get our crazy on."

Lewis drew back his legs and braced himself against the wall, knowing that the aiming of Happy on the trolley was going to be critical. "Three, two, one!" His legs shot out and connected with the back of the trolley as hard as he could. The trolley with its freezing cargo sailed across the garage, directly into the line of fire of the lasers.

Happy flinched, waiting to see if the lasers were going to pick up his heat signature regardless but mercifully the plan actually worked. Lewis's push had him slowing to a roll directly in front of the fuse box, about two feet from where he needed to be. "Damn, close but no cigar," he muttered.

"I'll give the lasers something to focus on," Lewis called out to him. "You'll have to wheel yourself the rest of the way."

"Don't get dead," Happy admonished him. "I want my fifty bucks." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Lewis making a dash across the garage, carefully avoiding the parked cars so the lasers wouldn't hit them and managing to run from pillar to pillar, narrowly avoiding the barrage of fire. Happy quickly put a foot on the ground and wheeled himself to the fuse box. He knew standing up was going to be dangerous because he was going to start regaining body heat very fast. Happy quickly stood up, grabbing the tyre iron by his side as he did. He opened the control box and, taking no chances, he simply smashed the whole system into a mass of broken metal and tangled wires with a series of violent blows with the tyre iron. The whole time Happy knew he was heating up and was bracing himself for the lasers to seek him out but instead, they abruptly stopped firing as his last blow did the trick. He turned around to see Lewis peek his head out from behind a concrete pillar. Happy's arms shot up over his head in triumph. "Not dead!" he declared excitedly. "Still freezing my ass off, but not dead!"

Lewis looked at the mangled control box. "Subtle," he noted in wry amusement.

Happy was unapologetic as he shook ice from his shirt. "What about me, when you look at me screams 'finesse'?" he asked mockingly. "The lasers are down, that's all that matters."

Lewis was already running towards the internal stairs. "You've got that right," he said over his shoulder. "We need to get to that arc reactor and then we need to get to Pepper."

Happy was hopping after him, trying to dislodge the ice from his pants at the same time. "I'm right behind you."

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper ignored the pain in her knees as she crawled over the uneven floor of the air conditioning ducting. The space was small and cramped and Pepper was glad she didn't suffer from any kind of claustrophobia but even if she had, she knew she'd be doing this. There was no way she was going to leave Tony and the other Avengers under the control of those nano-bots and she'd have crawled over broken glass if she'd had to if it was the only way to free them. Pepper knew Tony must be going crazy right now, not being able to control his own suit and she knew how terrified he'd always been of his technology falling into the wrong hands. Pepper knew he'd be doing everything in his power to stop this but right now, Tony simply didn't have any power but she did and she was going to use it all for him.

"You have a really nice ass," Hammer commented casually from behind her as they crawled along. "I've always thought so, nice and firm. What is that, Pilates, Tae Bo, Zumba? No matter what I do, I always end up with a bit of junk in my trunk."

Pepper didn't think, she just kicked out behind her with her right leg and felt her foot connect with Hammer's face. It was such a shame she'd had to take her shoes off because Hammer getting a stiletto in the face was the only thing that would have made the moment better.

"OW!" screeched Hammer in pain. "Uncool, Potts!"

Pepper ignored him and just kept moving. Hammer wasn't worth slowing down for.

"You know, I'm not having a great day either," he complained behind her.

"You're the one who started all of this!" Pepper snapped at him angrily. "I can't believe you want me to feel sorry for you when it was your twisted need for revenge that got us all here." She stopped moving for a second and looked back over her shoulder, blue eyes full of steely reserve. "And if Tony ends up hurt or worse out of this, you're going to wish you had been killed in an implosion," she ground out.

"Come on," he chided her, "death threats from Pepper Potts, is that really meant to scare me?"

Pepper's face hardened. "You don't know me, Hammer, you don't know what I'm capable of doing and what I'll do to protect the people I love." She kept crawling, not bothering to wait for an answer. She couldn't think about losing Tony, the notion was inconceivable as angry tears pricked her eyes. It had taken so long for her and Tony to finally be together, a life without him was not to be considered. Pepper didn't care what it took, Tony wasn't going to die today, not while there was still breath in her body. Up ahead Pepper could see another opening in the ducting ahead and if her calculations where right, it would open up in the ceiling above the corridor to the internal fire escape stairwell. "We're almost there," she said tightly, "keep up and you'd better have a way of stopping that reactor."

"And if I don't?" Hammer challenged her.

"My plan B is to throw you into it and see if that does any good," said Pepper coldly.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"Do you hear me laughing, Hammer?" she said grimly.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha straightened up from underneath the console. "It's done, Stark. The launch console can't be used now."

"Good," said Tony, "because hell is about to break loose up here."

Natasha was already running back down the corridor, towards the roof. "I'm on my way."

"There is nothing you can do," Tony said quickly. "Stay where you are."

Natasha ignored him and kept running. "Ghost isn't there, is she?"

"No."

"If she's not there and the fighting is about to start, she must know she doesn't have to tell the nano-bots what to do. My best guess is the nano-bots are programmed to attack anyone who attacks them."

"A solid hypothesis."

Natasha was running up the stairs to the roof now. "Then that is what they're going to get," she replied determinedly.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lewis threw open the door to the arc reactor level and ran into the corridor, Happy behind him, dripping wet, but hot on his heels. They both rushed to the room containing the arc reactor. "We need the code to get in," Lewis noted as they rounded the corner and the both of them came to a dead halt at the sight in front of them. "Then again," he said unevenly, trying to work out what he was seeing.

The metal door to the arc reactor containment room had been basically twisted off its hinges by what looked to be like silver tentacles which were wrapped all around it. The two of them edged closer and looked into the room and it became immediately apparent that those tentacles were just the tip of the iceberg. The huge arc reactor sat in the middle of the room, and stood at least sixty feet high in the large room and almost as wide with its spinning rings and bright, pulsating glow. There was a walkway built all around its impressive girt and another one far above their heads running over the top of it to allow access for any repairs. The thing was though; the arc reactor was no longer alone in its purpose-built cradle. It looked like thousands upon thousands of impossibly fine tendrils of silver line were wrapped all around it, weaving itself in and out of the power source and then stretching out into the surrounding walls. The tendrils embedded themselves into the walls, disappearing from sight as they burrowed into the infrastructure of the building. The arc reactor now looked as though it had been caught in some silver spider web and both Lewis and Happy couldn't stop staring at it.

"I think I see what the problem might be," Happy deadpanned.

Lewis shook his head in disbelief. "How could this have happened?"

"And more importantly, how do we undo this?"

Lewis thought quickly. "Okay, so this web thing is what is helping control the building and power the nano-bots which have taken over the Avengers, right? And it's feeding off the arc reactor. So, our plan remains, take out the arc reactor and then hopefully whatever this is has been neutralised."

"And how do we do that?"

Lewis looked at the pulsating arc and the rapidly moving rings spinning in the middle of it. "How about we throw things into the heart of it and stop those rings from spinning? That's got to do something."

"Why do I suddenly feel like the Ewoks doing battle with the Imperial Walkers, throwing rocks at technology?" asked Happy dryly.

"If memory serves, the Ewoks won that battle," Lewis observed, already starting to hunt around for metal things to throw into the heart of the reactor. He headed over to the far wall, where a fire extinguisher was attached and yanked it from its holder. "This is a good place to start."

"Tony, thank God!"

Happy's relieved voice came from behind him as he turned around to see Tony in his Iron Man suit walk into the room.

Happy was immediately hurrying up to him, pointing to the arc reactor. "Boss, you've got to take it out, hurry!"

Lewis blinked, fire extinguisher in his hand as Iron Man strode towards Happy. He took in the sight, something registering with him and Lewis bolted towards Happy as Iron Man raised his hand, repulsors glowing ready to fire on the trusting Happy. Lewis threw himself at Happy, knocking him out of the way just in time but catching some of the blast on his right shoulder. He rolled them both to safety, ignoring the pain in his arm. "It's the wrong suit," he yelled at the startled Happy as they were both trying to run from the Iron Man suit now. "This is the Mach VII, the one that is meant to be quarantined," he explained, grabbing for the fire axe as they ran by. "I think the suit is working by itself." Lewis turned around and hurled the axe straight at the suit. The blade lodged in its shoulder but all the Iron Man suit did was pull it out, now having another weapon. "Crap," muttered Lewis as he and Happy started running again.

"Is the arc reactor letting the nano-bots control the suit?" Happy quizzed him a little breathlessly as they ducked and weaved fresh repulsor fire.

"I guess," grunted Lewis, manoeuvring around the room, seeing as their exit was blocked by the suit.

"Then the plan remains the same," figured Happy hastily, "destroy the arc reactor and the suit will stop trying to kill us."

"Separate," said Lewis determinedly, "then it'll have two targets."

They ran either side of the walkway around the arc reactor, forcing the Mach VII to make a choice. It chose to hunt down Lewis, concentrating its fire on him.

**oooOOOOooo**

Out in front of him, Tony could see the military all in order with the Defenders standing in front of them. He closed his eyes, lips tightening. "Fury, we're in deep doo doo here. The army is about to throw down and we're being forced to pick up. Tell them to stand down."

"I've tried," said a frustrated sounding Fury. "All we can do now is back you up."

"Lives are going to be lost," said Tony in agitation. "I didn't put on this suit to kill innocent people."

"None of us did, Stark, and this battle isn't over yet."

"If we can't regain control of ourselves, then you need to be a part of the solution here," Tony warned him.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you've got a duty of care to take us all out," said Tony tightly, "anyway you can. You know we're a lethal force, Fury, you put us together to be just that. None of us want to be responsible for the deaths of innocent people. I need to know that if it comes down to it, you'll do the right thing and help them neutralise us."

There was a pause on the other end of the link. Eventually Fury spoke. "I'll do my duty to protect the American people, like I've always done."

There was a grim relief in hearing that. "Good, that's the most important thing right now."

Suddenly a voice came over a loud speaker. "Avengers, this is General McAdams. You are ordered by the President of the United States to stand down and give yourselves up. If you do not do this, then we will be forced to take you by whatever means necessary."

"This is insane," said Tony angrily, "none of us have a choice in this."

A confident female voice came from behind him. "One of us does."

Suddenly the ground shook beneath Tony's feet and all of the Avengers turn around to see Natasha had pulled some plastic explosives from her belt and lobbed them at the ground near them. She pulled out her guns and immediately started to fire at Tony and Steve, knowing they had shields to protect themselves. The rest of the Avengers moved as one to stop her.

"Natasha, no!" Tony yelled at her. "We'll kill you!" Even as he said the words, his suit was raising its arm and pointing its repulsors at her.

"You won't be the first to try," as she kept up the attack, throwing more of her plastic explosives at them and keeping up her barrage of bullets, even as she nimbly moved around to avoid each of their attacks, "but it's easier said than done, trust me, Stark." Now that Natasha had their attention, she was bolting for the stairwell, the Avengers hot on her tail.

Tony made a frustrated noise but he was forced to follow her with the others. They're speculation had been right, the nano-bots attacked anyone who attacked them. While it had stalled a confrontation between the military and the Avengers, Tony couldn't help but be filled with dread that he was about to witness the murder of one of the Avengers, possibly by his own hand as they chased Natasha down the stairs. "Run!" he ordered her frantically. "Run, Natasha!"

**oooOOOOooo**

Hammer followed Pepper down the stairs as they both raced towards the arc reactor. Truth be told, Hammer was grateful to have a bit of time to work out his next move. He just needed to get some traction on this thing again and he was confident he could get back in control of the situation. Hammer really hadn't expected Ghost's betrayal but ultimately he was a survivor and it was what he did best. He knew he was going to find a way out of this, he always did.

"It's through here," Pepper declared as she yanked open the door leading from the stairwell into the floor containing the arc reactor.

Hammer followed her out into the corridor, careful to make sure she went first. There was no telling what Ghost had waiting for them in that arc reactor, but he had a few ideas.

Pepper caught sight of the mangled door to the arc reactor and sent him an unimpressed look over her shoulder. "This would be your handiwork, I presume?"

Hammer was unapologetic. "You could say that."

They were at the doorway to the reactor room now and they both looked inside just in time to see Iron Man standing in front of the arc reactor which was covered in silver tendrils. His hand was raised at the walkway above them and Hammer saw a blonde man he recognised as one of Pepper's body guards, running across the metal bridge. Hammer also noticed Happy coming up from under the walkway Iron Man was standing on, looking like he was launching an attack on the distracted Iron Man.

"Look out, behind you!" called out Hammer, warning what he knew was the nano-bot controlled suit. He had a plan on seeing this scene, he just needed to play his cards right.

The Mach VII reacted instantly, reaching behind itself and grabbing Happy. The suit flipped Happy over its head as though the stocky man weighed nothing, smashing him down into the metal walkway beneath its feet.

"Happy!" screamed Pepper in distress as the other man hit the ground and didn't move.

The Mach VII raised its hand again, aiming its weapons at Pepper as Hammer instantly ducked back out of the doorway, automatically protecting himself. He sneaked his head around the corner when Lewis' voice came above them.

"Hey, up here!" Lewis threw a fire extinguisher at the Mach VII. The extinguisher bounced off it harmlessly but the suit was now firing on the body guard. "Get out of here, Pepper!" Lewis yelled at her while he distracted the suit. "RUN!"

The blasts hit the walkway he was running on and half the walkway gave way. Lewis was thrown against the wall of room and then tumbled down onto the ground below, landing on a pile of debris. Hammer assumed the guy had been killed, but he wasn't hanging around to find out. He took off back down the hall, looking for a temporary safe house and working out his next step.

He wasn't out of this game yet…


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N****: Man, I'm going to be glad when I get through this showdown – these are long, complicated chapters to write and I'm exhausted! It's all worth it if you're enjoying yourselves though. :D **

**This chapter has a lot of description with the action again, so lots going on. I think this is a chapter which will give some of the pay offs people have been asking for. I guess I'll see if I'm right when I read your reviews. ;) One of my reviewers asked how much longer with this actually showdown part of the fic... I'd say maybe another 2 or 3 chapters, depending on their length and then it'll be all about the aftermath. :D Hope that helps with getting through all the cliffhangers... of which there are more to come. LOL **

**Before we get to the chapter, here's a little game with I came up with while having lunch yesterday – Match those Marvel actors up. It occurred to me I could think of quite a lot of movies where actors who'd played Marvel characters had been in movies together. I started to write them down and so far I've come up with 20 movies where Marvel actors have been in together but I feel like that's only the tip of the iceberg. If anyone wants to play along at home, here is the list I've come up with so far. Let's see how many more we can add to it... if you're looking to waste some time, that is. ;) **

**Iron Man (RDJ) – Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)... Zodiac**

**Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – Rogue (Anna Paquin)... Margaret**

**Captain America (Chris Evans) – Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffuld)... The Fantastic Four**

**Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) – Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)... SWAT**

**Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) – Hulk (Edward Norton)... The Bourne Legacy**

**Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffuld) - The Punisher (Ray Stevenson)... Arthur**

**Black Widow (ScarJo) - Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)... The Prestige, Scoop**

**Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) - The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley)... Shutter Island**

**Black Widow (ScarJo) - The Sandman (Thomas Haden Church)... We Bought a Zoo**

**Black Widow (ScarJo) - Daredevil (Ben Affleck)... He's Just Not That Into You**

**Nick Fury (SLJ) - Bucky (Dominic Cooper)... Reasonable Doubt**

**Nick Fury (SLJ) - Magneto (Michael Fassbender)... Inglorious Bastards**

**Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) - Jean Grey (Famke Janssen)... Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters**

**Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - Storm (Halle Berry)... Swordfish**

**Captain America (Chris Evans) - Black Widow (ScarJo)... The Nanny Diaries**

**Hulk (Eric Bana) - Thor (Chris Hemsworth)... Star Trek**

**Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) - Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)... View from the Top **

**Iron Man (RDJ) - Hulk (Eric Bana)... Lucky You**

**Hammer (Sam Rockwell) - Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg)... Choke**

**Iron Man (RDJ) - Darcy (Kat Dennings)... Charlie Bartlett**

**Chapter Sixty-Four**

Natasha ran as fast as she could through the laboratory corridors, conscious of the group of men hot on her tail. She rounded a corner and then turned around, turning back to face them and catching them off guard. Natasha held up her hands and discharged the high-frequency electrostatic bolts from her custom-made bracelets. They were capable of stunning even a superhuman opponent so she chose her targets carefully. Thor and Iron Man felt the bite of her attack and it dropped them to the ground, but Natasha knew it wouldn't permanently hurt either one of them. She needed them on the attack and distracted, not harmed. With a quick flick of her wrists, Natasha threw out a couple of pellets of tear gas from her belt, debilitating Cap and Hawkeye and then she was running again as they tried to fight their way through the gas.

Natasha knew where she was taking them, the memorising of the floor plan of the building serving her well. They were heading towards the underground bunkers below the laboratory building. From the plans she'd memorised, Natasha knew they were small and windy and that was what she wanted. While she couldn't match the strength of any of the men, she knew it was going to come down to her cunning and agility. She could move around small spaces a lot easier and faster than the others could and Hawkeye and Cap would have trouble using their weapons. Natasha didn't actually have an out plan at this point, but she knew the longer she kept the Avengers occupied, the more lives were being saved and that was all that mattered.

Tony's urgent voice was in her ear again. "We're coming up behind you, keep ahead of us! Tell me you have a plan, Romanoff."

Natasha could hear the concern in Tony's voice. "I always have a plan, Stark," she reassured him calmly as she ran along. "You know that."

"I also know I generally don't like your plans," he countered.

Natasha glanced over her shoulder to see the Avengers were now right behind her again. She came to the door to the basement and kicked it open. "You're probably not going to love this one either," she conceded.

"Don't you let us kill you," said Tony tightly, "do what you have to, Natasha. No one is going to hold it against you."

Natasha ran down the stairs to the basement area which held all the bunkers and didn't answer and just hoped it didn't come down to that.

**oooOOOOooo**

Agent Coulson felt like he was no longer blinking as he continued to watch the speeded up tapes of the prison visitors room. Suddenly he froze as a young man in a suit approached the table in the visitor's room where Hammer was patiently waiting. Coulson quickly checked the manifest and saw that Hammer was meant to be meeting with his lawyer, only this wasn't one of the usual three which had come to visit him. Coulson's eyes ran over the frozen image of the man, taking in the way the grey suit didn't quite seem to fit, like he'd had to borrow it or something. That wasn't usually the case with the lawyers a man like Hammer would retain. Anything less than a seven thousand dollar, handmade suit would be unthinkable. What really had Coulson's attention though, was the fact that this supposed lawyer was wearing sneakers with that ill-fitting suit. The manifest said the man's name was Peter Shearer, an associate at Barns, Philips and Messer but Coulson wasn't buying what that for a moment. The man with slicked back dark blonde hair and thick black glasses looked far too young to be an associate. Hell, he barely looked old enough to shave. He quickly ran the video at normal speed and waited until the man glanced nervously around him as he took a seat in front of Hammer. Coulson froze the screen, capturing the man's face clearly. He immediately started up the facial recognition software and willed it to find a name for him sooner rather than later.

A miracle happened when unexpectedly, the software found a match within five minutes. The image of one Jeremiah Weems filled the screen as Coulson immediately confirmed it was the same person as the man visiting Hammer. Weems had made himself known to the FBI because of some hacking charges back when he was eighteen years old. The twenty-three year old hadn't been on the radar since and a quick examination revealed he'd been top of his class in MIT and graduated with honours, before dropping off the grid. Coulson had a pretty strong idea that he knew who'd snapped him up. Coulson studied Weems' credentials and could instantly tell the young man was a genius and would have all the talent and knowledge needed to be able to run Hammer's grand plan and his gut told him he had the right man. He ran checks on the man, looking for a clue as to where he might be now and on screen it popped up that a credit card in his name had been used for the purchase of an expensive ergonomic chair. A few more quick key searches and Coulson had the delivery address for the chair. It was to a warehouse on Coney Island in the industrial section. Coulson knew that would be a perfect place to set up shop for Hammer with the amount of computer hardware this kind of operation would need.

Coulson instantly made a call. "Sir, I think I've located the nerve centre for this operation," he said quickly. "I'm sending the intel to your console now."

There was a brief pause while Fury skimmed the information and then he was all business. "Dispatch a team and close it all down," Fury ordered him sharply. "Then bring him Mr. Weems back to me, I feel like we're going to have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, sir," said Coulson and hung up. He rushed out into an adjacent room where several SHIELD agents were on standby. "Organise a crew," he directed them, "I want them ready to roll in less than two minutes. I'm uploading the target to your PDA's, familiarise yourself and be on the carrier ready to dispatch when I give the word. I'm organising a ground crew to meet us there." There were brief nods of agreement from the other agents and then they were already getting prepared. Coulson was hurrying out of the room, making his next call to ground crew to organise details. Time was of the essence and he knew each tick of the clock meant more lives were at stake.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper ran up the stairs, desperately praying that Happy and Lewis were alright. It had almost killed her to leave them, but she couldn't have helped them right then. Hammer running off hadn't surprised her and it was no great loss. He would never willingly help her and Pepper wasn't going to take the risk of trusting him in anyway, even if that was an option. She'd almost instantly worked out she was looking at the nano-bot contaminated Mach VII suit when she'd looked into that room and her heart had sunk. A bad situation had gotten much worse. Taking out the arc reactor was one thing, taking it out while an Iron Man facsimile stood guard over it, well, that was taking it to the next level. Pepper knew her only chance was to find some kind of weapon to use against the suit and the only place she might find that was in Tony's lab so she was heading there as fast as her legs would carry her. Pepper raced to the lab, hastily punching in the code to get her inside. Once she was in the lab, Pepper looked around, trying to see if there were any kinds of weapons lying around. It was hard to miss the safety pod in the middle of the room and she closed her eyes, wishing this wasn't happening.

_Pepper grimaced as she heard the sound of powerful repulsor fire as she stepped off the elevator and made her way to the door. She put in the code for the keypad and continued on into the lab to find Tony in his Iron Man suit, blasting away at his latest creation as Happy sat on the sofa, reading a newspaper. "Tony!" she called out to him but he didn't hear her over the noise. "TONY!" _

_He finally heard her and stopped firing. Tony turned around as his face visor slid back and he grinned at her. "There's my girl," he said jovially. _

"_You're making a lot of noise," she cautioned him. "What are you doing?" _

"_Just testing the shield capacity of my safety pod," said Tony blithely. He walked up to it and looked it over. "So far, so good. Of course, it'd be better if I could have it as a moving target so I can check the shielding can function properly in motion as well." Tony threw a dark look over at Happy. "But someone wouldn't get into the pod because I guess he's not committed to the cause." _

_Happy didn't look up from his newspaper. "I'm committed to the cause where I don't die screaming in a flaming hamster ball," he responded flatly. "That's a good cause from where I'm sitting." _

"_Safety pod," Tony corrected him immediately. "It's a safety pod." He looked at Pepper. "It's a safety pod." _

_Pepper rolled her eyes. "You do realise that you're never going to get me into one of those things, right?" she asked dryly. "All this effort is for nothing, Tony. This is pointless." _

"_Nothing I do is pointless," Tony countered. _

_Happy wasn't so convinced. "What about the time you spent eight straight hours trying to find a question that google couldn't answer?" _

"_That had a point," Tony argued. Pepper and Happy gave him sceptical looks. "I'm sure I had a point at the time," he blustered. Tony smiled at Pepper. "And you, you'll see, this safety pod is going to be amazing and you never know when you'll need an all-terrain, tactical pod to get you out of a tricky situation." _

"_I'm not you, Tony," she said dryly. "Life and death situations aren't a daily occurrence for the rest of us mere mortals." _

Pepper wrinkled her nose. Damn, she was never going to live this down, but she had no choice. Pepper at least knew it could stand up against repulsor fire and there was no way she was going to attempt to get into one of Tony's Iron Man suits, so, the stupid hamster ball it was. She ran up to it, looking it over to work out how to get in as she reached out with a hesitant hand. When her hand contacted the wall of the pod, a message was activated.

"Fingerprint identification verification," said the emotionless female voice. There was a split second delay. "Welcome, Pepper Potts."

Pepper rolled her eyes. Of course Tony had planned on being able to get Pepper into the pod at some point, despite her protestations. The man was impossible. Pepper's face tightened in worry. And he was in terrible danger. She'd worry about the inevitable gloating on Tony's behalf another day, right now all Pepper wanted to do was make sure they both had other days to come. A side panel slid back on the pod and Pepper was able to climb inside and sit in the chair inside. The chair was more like the bones of the back half an Iron Man suit. When you lay back in it, the chair conformed to the whole back half of your body and Pepper quickly worked out that to move the ball forward, all you had to do was my a walking motion forward. Even though her feet didn't touch the ground, the movement of the half bio-suit told the pod what needed to happen.

In front of Pepper, displays of various functions were illuminated. Tony had once shown her what he saw inside the Iron Man helmet and this looked a lot like that. Pepper quickly read all the displays and reached out a tentative hand to press one illuminated feature. Immediately a small ball was launched for the pod and it shot out across the room, exploding on impact against the far wall. "So," said Pepper, "that does that then." She didn't have time to explore much more. Happy and Lewis were in trouble and she needed to get back to them. Pepper turned her head towards the door and the pod followed her action. "Okay," she muttered under her breath, "let's do this." Pepper hated not knowing exactly what she was doing, but more than a decade with Tony had made her very skilled at improvising on a moment's notice. She ran towards the door and found the pod surprisingly easy to handle. How it was going to do on stairs worried her but when she made it to the stairwell, blasting the door off the hinge so she could access it, it was to find the pod made short work of the twelve flights of stairs.

Pepper was back at the arc reactor level and rolling down the corridor as she ran along. The safety pod rolled into the arc reactor room and Pepper tensed, ready for the attack from the Mach VII. Instead of the Iron Man suit though, Hammer stepped up to greet her. He waved an amused finger at the pod. "I'm not sure this is a good look on you, Pepper," he commented.

"Weren't you running for your life, Hammer?" she asked impatiently. "That's what you normally do when the going gets tough." She glanced around and saw Happy and Lewis' unmoving bodies over in the corner of the room and willed them to be okay. Hammer shrugged and his return of confidence had Pepper concerned. What was he up to?"

"Except that my going isn't tough," he countered and then snapped his fingers. "Suit, to me."

The Mach VII walked out from behind the reactor and stood obediently behind Hammer.

Pepper's eyes went wide. "What the hell?"

Hammer's face broke into a smug smile. "I wasn't sure it'd work at first myself, so that surprised look on your face is warranted, Ms. Potts." He looked lovingly at the infected suit. "You see, the nano-bots have been programmed to respond to certain things and react certain ways. Like, when they're threatened, they'll always attack but one other little fact is they've also been programmed for voice command." Hammer's smile became slyer. "_My_ voice command if it comes down to it." He made a grand gesture towards the suit and then the intricate web of silver threads above them. "This, this all belongs to me and is completely under my control." Hammer straightened his glasses and made a self-satisfied face. "And to that end, I think we all know what is coming next." He inclined his head towards Pepper. "Kill her, a lot."

Pepper instinctively took a couple of steps backwards as the Mach VII immediately strode towards her. It lifted both hands and fired its repulsors at her and Pepper flinched but all that fire power simply slid off the safety pod and she was left unhurt. Her confidence boosted by the performance of the shields of the pod, Pepper went on the attack. She hit the same part of the screen which discharged the orbs before and they rained down on the suit. Pepper quickly realised that while the Mach VII had the same arsenal at its disposal as Tony did when he wore it, it lacked the intuition and skill of the man inside to actually make smart moves. The Mach VII simply kept firing on her, while not dodging the exploding orbs she was sending its way.

Pepper concentrated the orbs at the suit's head. After a series of exploding attacks from the orbs, the head finally came clean off. It blew back into the arc reactor and was consumed by the spinning blades. The suit was effectively blind now and Pepper quickly moved out of its way as it staggered around, firing wildly. Hammer had dodged for cover as the suit became lethal to even him now. Pepper pressed another part of her console and this time, a larger orb was launched. It went directly at the headless Mach VII and caught it squarely in the chest. The suit was blown off its feet and back into the arc reactor. Pepper held her breath, hoping the metal suit would cause the reactor to become caught up and ultimately stop, but it didn't. Instead the spinning rings just chopped the suit up into little pieces and kept it whirling around with the rings.

Hammer had run off to the walkway above their heads and he called down his comment. "Well, that was a bit anti-climactic, I must say."

Pepper turned her attention to Hammer and looked up at him standing on the walkway which had the middle missing from where the suit had fired at Lewis. "You need to stop this, now," she ordered him grimly. Pepper headed up the stairs to the walkway. When she was on the walkway with Hammer, they faced off.

"Why would I stop when I'm winning?"

Pepper looked at him in disbelief. "How are you winning, Hammer? You partner in crime has betrayed you and left you for dead, I've just destroyed the Iron Man suit under you control and now you're standing there, defenceless. How is that winning exactly?"

"Who says I'm defenceless?" he shot back at her. Hammer looked around at the nano-pede infested walls and arc reactor. "My children are all around me, willing to do my every bidding." He sent Pepper an evil look. "And guess what, Pepper Potts? Daddy's home." He pointed a finger at Pepper. "Attack her, crush that pod," he commanded the nano-bots. "I want you to rip her to shreds."

Pepper braced herself as the pod was suddenly being assailed by the silver tendrils. They wrapped themselves all around the pod, looking for a way in to attack her. She frantically pressed buttons on the console, hoping Tony had something in the arsenal he'd installed into the pod that could deal with this situation. One of her button pushes caused the pod to suddenly emit a huge pulse of heat. The white glow engulfed the tendrils, turning them to dust while Pepper only felt a small increase in temperature. "Okay," she conceded, "that was good." More tendrils tried to take hold, but Pepper just did another heat wave and burned them off as well.

"Give it up, Potts," Hammer called to her. "How much energy do you think your little ball is using up for it to heat up like that? You're about to drain those energy reserves any minute."

"Then call them off!" she shouted back at him, once again becoming covered in the unrelenting tendrils. "I'm trying to save a lot of people's lives, yours included."

Hammer flung out his arms. "Do I look like I need saving?" he threw back at her. "I'm in complete control here and as long as the Avengers and more importantly, Tony, ends up dead, then I'm going to count this one as a win." Hammer's face resolved into a smirk. "You can't save anyone, Pepper Potts and you can't defeat me. I am your superior in every way and this proves it. The nano-pedes and I are one, and I control all of their power." No sooner had the words left Hammer's mouth when the nano-bots responded to their master's voice and gave him what he wanted. The tendrils whipped out and immediately wrapped themselves around Hammer, starting with his head. The silver strands were coiling around his head and throat as they sought to become one with him, as commanded. Pepper could see Hammer was trying to speak and tell them to stop, but his throat was being crushed and the words wouldn't come out. He struggled wildly against them, trying to break free as more tendrils rushed to join with him. In his frantic battle with the unrelenting nano-bots, Hammer wasn't being careful about where he was. He thrashed around on the walkway, desperate to break loose from their loving but deadly grasp but as he did, he lost his footing.

She tried to warn him. "Look out!" It was too late though. Pepper watched on in horror as Hammer backed up to the broken part of the walkway and inadvertently stepped off. He plummeted into the arc reactor, the tendrils still not letting him go as he tumbled downwards. Hammer hit the rotating rings of the arc reactor and his body was instantly torn into pieces. Pepper flinched and looked away as bright red slashes of blood hit the walls of the room and even her safety pod. She put a hand to her mouth at the gruesome sight of Hammer's blood splattered over everything. Pepper had hated the man, but that was still a horrible way to die as he was ripped to shreds by the rotating rings.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha threw herself under a series of pipes, sliding along the ground and bending all the way back, so her shoulders nearly touched her heels. The others were closing in on her. They'd split up and while she knew Iron Man and Thor were behind her, she wasn't sure where the others were. Natasha leapt to her feet, and kept running, but as she turned a corner, she was suddenly knocked from her feet by a red and blue shield. She bounced off the wall and fell to the ground and Steve was standing over her. Natasha kicked out at him, trying to get some room to stand but he deflected with his shield and then that same shield was being raised above his head, ready to bring it down on her in a death blow. Natasha lifted her arm in a defensive move she knew would do no good.

**oooOOOOooo**

Lewis lifted his head and then shook it, trying to clear it. The pain in his shoulder was intense but he ignored it. He quickly scanned the area, taking stock of the situation. To his left Happy was lying on his back, a cut on his forehead and some other bumps and bruises but his chest was rising and falling steadily, so that was a good sign.

"Look out!"

Pepper's frightened warning had him looking up to see her in Tony's hamster ball and Hammer falling backwards off the walkway above his head. He grimaced as the man's blood was instantly splattered everywhere but he didn't waste a seconds worth of sympathy on the guy. In Lewis' opinion, he'd gotten off lightly. "Pepper!" he called out. "Are you alright?"

Pepper was climbing out of the safety pod and she looked down at him as she walked around behind the pod. "I'm fine," she told him, "but the arc reactor is still working. I'm going to try and take it out now. Make sure you and Happy are safe."

Lewis saw immediately what her plans were. Whatever the safety pod was, it was most likely the hardest material in here and had the highest chance of being able to actually stop the arc reactors rings if launched into it. Lewis couldn't help but admire Pepper's unwavering determination to get the job done. "I've got Happy," he promised her, "but if this works, that thing is going to blow. Push it and run, Pepper, get off that walkway as fast as you can!"

"I will," she said, her voice tight but resolute. "Are you ready?"

Lewis was already up and dragging the unconscious Happy to a safety, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he did. He backed them under a console for shelter. "Ready!" he shouted up at her. Lewis was looking up from under the console, concerned for Pepper's safety. He watched her shove the safety pod off the walkway and into the heart of the arc reactor. The immovable object met the irresistible force and sparks flew. The sound of metal screaming and twisting filled the air as the pod did the job. "Run, Pepper!" he yelled out to her, as the whole thing began to rumble and shake. "RUN!" Lewis watched helplessly as Pepper ran back along the walkway, trying to get away from the undoubted blast which was about to happen. She'd almost made it to the metal stairwell when the arc reactor blew.

Lewis pulled back, shielding Happy's body with his own just before he saw the walkway collapsing. The noise was deafening but it was over quickly. The arc reactor's demise had debris and dust filling the air but Lewis didn't even wait for any of it to settle. He bolted across the room to get to Pepper. At first he couldn't see her through all the dust and tangled metal and mortar but then he spied her on top of a pile of rubble, not moving after her fall from the walkway. Lewis ran towards her, dodging still falling chunks of ceiling and walls. He dropped to her knees and placed a finger on her carotid artery, desperately praying for a pulse. Lewis found one and felt a wave of relief but then his gaze scanned down the rest of Pepper's body and to his horror, there was a metal rod sticking out of her side. Pepper had clearly fallen on it and ended up being impaled on it. Lewis put his hand around the growing blood stain on Pepper's once white blouse and pressed down hard. "It's alright, Pepper," he reassured her quickly. "You're going to be fine. I'm getting you out of here. Just hang on, you're going to be fine." As he finished saying that, John and Cody ran into the room. Lewis knew they would have been trying to get into the building ever since they'd been locked out. "911," he ordered them, not wasting time with explanations, "now!" Lewis looked back at Pepper's pale face as Cody pulled out his phone and dialled. He closed his eyes briefly and willed Pepper to be alright.

**A/N****: Guess it's time for the Avengers to get back in the game, huh? I've missed them, so it'll be good to hear from them in the next chapter. Who's with me? :D **


	65. Chapter 65

**A/N****: Hi guys, I'm back. :D **

**It's been a tough week training a new person and it's been slow going. I haven't had any brain space left to do more than jot down a paragraph or too. So, to try and get an update to you, I made a decision. I stopped trying to finish the chapter I was intending on giving you and simply split it in two, so you could have an update sooner rather than later. It's still ended up being 3000 words long, so it turns out I'm not short changing you after all. LOL Plus, you get a Pepper scene which originally wasn't going to be in there, so hopefully it's a win all round. **

**I must confess to not being thrilled with this chapter. I think it's a bit slow, which is why it was meant to go with what will now be the next chapter, which will have more action. But yeah, ran out of strength and time to do an uber long chapter. The first scene is meant to happen very quickly, all playing out in less than a minute, so hopefully it won't sound like them standing around talking in the middle of all this... although technically that is what is happening. **

**Okay, the next chapter is half-written but it's going to be another complicated one for me, so I'll o my best to get it to you as soon as I can. Thanks everyone for your patience. :D **

**Chapter Sixty-Five**

Steve felt a sharp pain in his head and was momentarily dizzy. The next thing he knew, he was being kicked in the chest. He fell backwards against the wall, the breath leaving his body in a hiss. Natasha leapt to her feet and was about to kick him again when he held up a hand to her. "Whoa, what are you doing?" he asked in shock.

Natasha looked at him in surprise. "You can talk."

Steve pulled a face. "For quite a while now." He stood up and gave her a confused look. "Why did you kick me?" He hesitated and looked around. "And where are we?" Steve blinked. "How did I get here?"

"Stark, they're back," said Natasha in amazement. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," came the reply, "but I've got control of the Iron Man suit again. Looks like the nano-bots are dead in the water."

"Are you talking to Tony?" Steve quizzed her and tapped his comlink. "My comlink has been playing up."

"Change back to normal frequency," Natasha directed Tony. "Clint, Thor, are you back with us?"

"Aye," replied Thor as he rounded the corner, Clint by his side, "we are here, Black Widow." He tensed when he saw Steve standing next to her. Thor raised his hammer and sent Steve a wary look. "Tis it you, Steve Rogers?"

Steve was trying to work out what was going on. He swept an arm at his uniform. "Do you know anyone else who dresses like this? And what is going on? Why are you all treating me like the enemy?"

Tony walked in from the other direction to answer his question. "Because you recently declared war on the United States of America on our behalf," he said flatly.

Steve's eyes went wide. "What? No, I couldn't have. The last thing I remember was, was-" He searched his memory and gave a gasp. "Ghost! I think I was talking to Ghost. One minute she was one of the guards and then the next minute she was this blonde woman." Steve's brow furrowed as he tried to work it out. "She must be some kind of shape-shifter." He looked around at them. "Is that a thing in this century?"

"Looks like," answered a grim Clint.

"Wait," Steve interjected, "I started a war?"

"Right now we have half of the US military above us and ready to take us out after you threatened to blow up the nuclear bombs in this place," Tony filled him in.

"I didn't do that," Steve argued fiercely.

"We know, it was the nano-bots inside of you controlling you," said Tony. He looked around at them. "They were controlling us all."

Clint's lips pressed together in an angry line. "That's it, now I'm pissed. I could live with being brain-jacked once this year but twice is unacceptable. I want to kick someone's ass."

Natasha grimaced. "Unfortunately you might get your wish. There is an army waiting for us right now, and that doesn't include the Defenders."

"But verily," Thor argued, "can we not tell your armies that we are no longer under the spell of the witch? We have our own minds and we do not wish to fight."

Natasha gave a short shake of her head. "I think they have orders to shoot first and ask questions later, Thor. Hammer has the guys giving the orders in his pocket and they're going to do whatever he tells them. Strike first and contain the threat, that's their plan."

"Fury, you getting all this?" Tony asked. "The Avengers are back on line."

"Are you responsible?"

"No, but the answer to that question is for another day," he said in his usual, no nonsense fashion. "Right now we need to get on top of this situation. Agent Coulson is following up a lead and we may have concrete proof this is a set up very soon. Meanwhile, I need you all to get up there and contain the situation."

"Can't we just leave?" asked Clint. "I mean, we're not going to fight, so I say, let's get out of here until this is all sorted out. We're a bit too close to this nuclear silo for my liking."

"I don't think Ghost's plan is to make it easy for you to leave," said Fury grimly.

"We have to try," said Steve determinedly.

Tony's visor slid down. "I'm going after Bruce. Keep me in the loop." With that Tony engaged his thrusters and tore off back down the tunnels, heading for the outside.

"Bruce?" asked Steve in concern.

"Ghost has stopped his ability to transform and is planning on using him to create super soldiers," Natasha filled him in.

Steve's eyes went wide. "Just how long was I out for?"

"Just over an hour," Natasha informed him.

Clint nodded. "Turns out you're pretty productive when being controlled by millions of miniscule robots."

Thor scowled. "This sorcery is indeed unsettling."

Clint was looking at Natasha. "How do you know all this?" he quizzed her. "Weren't you out of it like the rest of us?"

"We don't have time to stand around talking." Natasha was already heading off to follow in Tony's path. "De-briefing is for after a mission, not in the middle of it."

Steve knew she was right. He broke into a run behind Natasha, the others following as they raced upstairs, not sure of the fate awaiting them.

**oooOOOOooo**

Ghost strode confidently towards where the Defenders were standing in front of a row of tanks positioned some distance away. She stopped in front of them. "They're inside the laboratory. Looks like you'll have to go in after them."

Rhino frowned. "What about bombs?"

Ghost sent him a cool look. "Let me worry about the bombs." Suddenly Jerry was in her comlink.

"Ah, Ghost?" he said hesitantly. "I think we might have a problem."

Ghost's lips thinned for the briefest of moments, annoyed at the man's perpetual state of fearful cowering when he spoke to her. Fear was fine, but it annoyed her when he always took so damn long to get to the point. "What is it, Weems?"

"Umm, well, I'm not sure what's happened and I don't know how-"

"Get to the point," she snapped.

"I've lost control of the nano-bots at the Tower," he blurted out. "It's all gone dark. The Avengers are no longer under your control." Jerry made a strangled noise. "Please don't kill me."

Ghost wasn't fazed. "It doesn't matter now, the die is cast. The Avengers have targets painted on their backs and that is all that matters now. Keep me informed of any new developments."

"Yes, ma`am."

Ghost turned her attention back to the Defenders. "You're going to spearhead the attack. Show no mercy, it's killed or be killed."

Beetle frowned. "You think the Avengers are going to try and kill us?"

"They're desperate and backed into a corner," Ghost returned. "Don't think they won't do what it takes to survive. You're the enemy to them and they're not going to hesitate to kill anyone of you if it comes down to it. You all have to take control of the situation otherwise you're not going to survive this." The others nodded but Ghost noticed Beetle still seemed unsure. "Do you have a problem with that, Jenkins?"

"If what you're saying is true, then no, I don't have a problem with it," he said slowly.

"Get into position, you'll go on my command."

**oooOOOOooo**

Bruce strained against the restraints tying him to the specially designed chair while the Chinook carrier helicopter gained altitude. "You're making a mistake!" he yelled at the two pilots at the other end of the helicopter. "You don't want to be in a helicopter with me."

One of the men turned around and smirked at him. "You're not special anymore, Banner. No one is afraid of you."

A huge wave of frustration welled up in Bruce as realised they were right. He was helpless and he hated it.

Suddenly the side door of the helicopter was ripped open and Iron Man landed inside. He looked sideways at the pilots. "How about me?" he challenged them. "You afraid of me?"

One of the pilots pulled out a gun and fired on Tony.

Tony made a disdainful noise as the bullets bounced harmlessly off his suit. "You're kidding me, right?" He pointed a finger at them both. "You two, get out."

The two men looked at each other uncertainly.

"Get out or I'll throw you out," Tony warned them.

The pilots scrambled to their feet and rushed for a parachute each, hastily putting it on and leaping out of the helicopter to safety.

Bruce looked up at him. "You do know no one is flying this thing now, right?"

Tony's visor slid open. "It doesn't matter, you've got your ticket out of here." He his eyes ran over Bruce. "You okay?"

"Yes."

"I take it the other guy is out still being shy?"

Bruce scowled. "Yes, the rage is there, but it's like I can't reach him." His frown deepened. "How bad are things on the ground?"

"It's fine," said Tony blithely. "Don't worry, I'll get you to safety and the rest of the Avengers can handle it."

Bruce felt fresh frustration at being relegated to helpless bystander. "What's really going on?"

"There may or may not be the chance we're about to face off against half the US military and the Defenders while trying not to either kill anyone or be killed," Tony admitted.

"That's your definition of fine?" asked Bruce in disbelief.

Tony moved his shoulders a little bit. "It could be worse."

"How?"

He thought for a second. "It's a lovely day outside, really nice weather." Tony moved to remove his restraints. "Which you're going to appreciate from a safe distance."

"Wait," said Bruce sharply and stalled him.

"Ah, look, B, I don't mean to rush the moment here, but we're in a plane flying on autopilot and I've got somewhere I need to be. You have to let me do this."

Bruce's jaw hardened. "There is only one thing I want you to do, Tony Stark." He held Tony's gaze without blinking. "And it's what you do best."

Tony stared back at him and Bruce could see in his eyes he knew what was being asked of him. A silent exchange passed between the two men, of concern and unrelenting determination. Bruce knew this was crazy and that there were a million reasons why this was a bad idea, but he also knew there was one man in the world who wouldn't argue the point and he was standing in front of him right now.

"Do it," Bruce ordered him, resolute.

Tony nodded solemnly as his visor slid shut. "Make me proud," he instructed Bruce before lifting an armoured foot and pushed on the seat of the chair, between Bruce's legs.

The power of Iron Man's kick had the chair tearing a wall in the side of the plane as the chair, with Bruce still strapped to it, hurtled through the air on the way to the ground. Bruce had a brief glimpse of Tony standing in the hole he'd just made and then Bruce was spinning end over end, twirling and pitching in a wild dance as he and the chair plunged towards the desert below. Fear and adrenaline pumped through Bruce's veins as he fell. The beast inside struggled for freedom. For the first time ever, Bruce actively sought him out. He'd spent all those years trying to find a way to suppress the Hulk and running from the rage which would bring him roaring into being. Now Bruce let go of his fear and embraced the animal thrashing inside of him.

The nano-bots in his system struggled to maintain control over the creature, as Bruce reached out to the Hulk, buried deep inside of him. Instead of letting the anger overtake him, Bruce directed it towards one goal and as he did, the Hulk was freed. He felt the hot rush of through his body of the beast being released. Muscles swelled, his heart rate doubled as veins bulged. The restraints around his wrist started to rip as he grew, pulling them from the chair as though they were made of tissue paper. The Hulk batted away the chair, just as the ground came up below him. He made a guttural noise as he impacted with the ground, sending a cloud of dust and debris up into the air for at least half a mile. The Hulk threw back his head and roared, muscles flexing as he revelled in his freedom. The ground shook anew with the loudness of the sound.

A red and gold figure darted in front of him, hovering just out of reach. "Good to have you back, big guy. You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now."

Hulk snarled at him.

"Okay, I'm sensing I've invaded some personal boundary issues there."

The Hulk scowled, sorting through his emotions. "Talky man save Hulk."

The flying man waved a blithe hand at him. "You're welcome. Anytime you need to be kicked out of a plane, you know I'm your go to guy."

Bruce Banner's memories came back to him. "Hulk want to smash," he growled, remembering the men who'd tried to imprison him.

"Then this is your lucky day, because I've got a group in need of a good smashing." The metal man dropped to the ground and walked up to him. He held up a finger. "But you have to listen to me now, okay? You can't hurt anyone with the green uniforms. Hulk can't smash the army guys, you got that? They're innocent, so you can't hurt them."

Old, angry memories came back to him. "Army try and hurt Hulk," he bit out, tensing at just the thought of it. All that being chased and hounded, shot at and attacked. The Hulk's fists curled into a tight ball.

"I know, I know, chequered history, I get that," said the talky many quickly. "But this time they don't know what they're doing and you can't hurt them."

Hulk glowered, not liking the sound of that.

"But do you remember the Defenders? Them you can smash. Does that sound like a deal?"

Hulk nodded slowly. "Don't smash army, smash Defenders." He was ready for a fight. As long as he could smash something, Hulk was happy.

The shiny man shot up in the air. "That's it, you've got it. Now come, get your great big, gorgeous green ass moving. We've got a war to avert."

"Talky man shut up now," grunted the Hulk. "No more voice in head."

"Yeah, that's probably not going to happen."

Hulk leapt up into the air, chasing after the man flying off in the distance. He sailed through the air in a gigantic leap and landed almost a mile away from where he started intent on finding things to smash.

**oooOOOOooo**

Pepper blinked blearily up at the row of lights which were flashing above her.

Suddenly Happy's anxious face was above hers, covered in dust and blood. "It's alright, Pep," he reassured her anxiously as he ran beside the gurney she was lying on. "We're in the hospital, you're going to be fine."

"Are you alright?" she croaked, feeling strangely disconnected from her body. "Lewis?" Her pale face tightened. "Hammer?"

"Mincemeat," said Happy and didn't look unhappy about that fact. "Lewis has a broken arm, and they're patching him up now."

The trolley Pepper was on had stopped and a slightly breathless Happy had hold of her hand. She frowned in confusion. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital," said Happy unevenly.

Pepper tried to think. "Why?"

Happy looked distraught. "You're hurt, Pepper. You're bleeding internally. They're taking you into surgery now to stop the bleeding." He leaned closer. "It's going to be alright. I'll call Tony and-"

"No," said Pepper sharply and then regretted the effort that cost her. She took a moment to catch her breath and for the room to stop spinning. "No, don't call Tony."

Happy shook his head. "Pepper, he has to know."

"Is everything in Los Alamos sorted, are the Avengers safe?"

Happy looked torn.

"Don't lie to me, Happy Hogan," she instructed him with as much force as she could.

"No," he finally admitted, "but-"

Pepper's lips thinned in determination. "No, buts. I'm not going to make Tony choose between me and the Avengers."

"There's no choice for him." Happy squeezed her hand. "He'll choose you, every time, Pepper, in a heartbeat."

"I know that," said Pepper quietly and she did. A hot tear escaped her eye and slid down her dirt-covered cheek. "But Tony has to be where he's needed the most, and right now that isn't here." Pepper had long ago reconciled herself with the fact that she shared Tony with the world. His desire to make a difference in this world was one of the reasons she loved him the way she did. Pepper gave Happy an uneven smile. "And I have you, Happy."

"It's not the same," he argued unhappily.

"You love me," said Pepper simply, "and I know you're going to be here when I wake up. There is nothing more anyone can do, and that includes Tony. If you tell him about this surgery then he's going to be no use to me or the Avengers. You have to do what I'm asking, Happy, please."

Happy grimaced. "He's going to go insane when he finds out."

Pepper half-smiled, feeling herself getting groggy. "Like I can't handle an insane, Tony Stark." Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton wool. Suddenly she had trouble keeping her eyes open. "Don't tell him," she murmured, words starting to run together. "Promise."

She heard Happy make a reluctant noise. "I promise."

Pepper felt relief wash over her and then the encroaching darkness claimed her and she knew nothing more.


	66. Chapter 66

**A/N****: So, got this chapter to you a little faster than the last one. Hope that earns me some brownie points. :) **

**On a side note, thanks to everyone who chipped in with the Marvel movie game. You had some great ones. Last night there was another one on TV here – Smoking Aces and that made me think of a few more...**

**Smoking Aces – Deadpool and Daredevil**

**The Town – Daredevil and Hawkeye**

**The Spirit – BW and Fury**

**I actually saw a preview for a movie where there were 3 Marvel actors in it, but dang, I can't remember the movie or which actors, so if anyone can come up with that one, I'd be mightily impressed. ;) **

**Okay, back on task. **

**This chapter has a lot of action, which you know I hate writing, so this one was a big effort for me... and the next one is going to be even worse. . Not looking forward to that. Ah well, I made my bed, I have to lie in it, I guess. LOL Hope this chapter answers the concern of why Tony didn't know Hammer was near Pepper for people. What else, let's see... hm, I guess there isn't too much more I want to say other than thanks for reading as always and I think one more chapter will have us through all this action stuff and onto the angsty fall out. Yay, something that isn't as much hard work for me – I'm all for it. :D **

**See you soonish...**

**Chapter Sixty-Six**

Clint ducked behind the concrete wall to avoid a barrage of bullets and grimaced. "This would be a lot easier if we were able to actually hurt people," he commented, stringing another arrow to his bow. "Then they wouldn't keep getting up and chasing us."

Natasha was on the other side of the wall, guns drawn, but by her side. "You know we can't. That's just what Ghost wants."

Clint drew back his bow and quickly peeked around the corner and released his arrow at the line of soldiers. The soldiers had automatic weapons and they were closing in on them. "I know that," he said, "I was just making an observation." Clint fell back behind the wall and shouted to the soldiers. "We don't want to hurt anyone! We're not your enemy!" The arrow landed in the ground at the feet of the men in the front line and immediately dispersed a cloud of white gas into the air. The men coughed and spluttered, falling to the ground as the knock out gas took effect.

Clint and Natasha ran off down the corridor, wanting to get ahead of the men hot on their tails. They'd opted to go back into the laboratory building because it was a confined area which would make Clint's non-lethal arsenal the most effective and they wouldn't bring heavy armoury into a nuclear silo. Thor and Cap were outside, trying to keep the situation under control, but everyone knew things could go horribly wrong at any moment.

"We have to buy Fury some time," said Natasha as they ran along. "He said they were onto something to neutralise this. All we have to do is maintain the situation until he gets back to us." Two soldiers stepped out in front of them as they ran along. Natasha didn't miss a beat, dropping to her knees and sliding along until she was right up to them. She grabbed their guns from where she was kneeling and pulled on them, tumbling the men forwards. They landed on their stomachs on the ground, momentarily stunned. Natasha pulled out some wire and deftly wrapped the thin, but very strong, thread around there arms and legs, effectively hog tying them in seconds.

Clint blinked as even he was caught off-guard by the speed and dexterity of her moves. "Okay, that was impressive."

The two men struggled on the ground, but they'd been very effectively neutralised.

Natasha was already on the move again and Clint hastily broke into a run to catch up. They came to another corridor which intersected theirs and briefly stopped, assessing the situation. Natasha pulled out a mirror from her belt and looked either way down the corridor.

"It was the tumour, wasn't it?" Clint hadn't been able to let it go.

Natasha glanced over at him. "What?"

"It's why you weren't under the control of the nano-bots, wasn't it? Something about that thing in your head stopped them from taking control."

Natasha moved a little and didn't meet his gaze. "That's one possible theory."

"Do you know what I call that?"

"A subject for another day?"

"That's your silver lining," said Clint, undeterred. The sound of booted feet running up the corridor had him reaching for another arrow. In one fluid movement he moved out from behind the corner and shot another knock out gas at the ground before the on-coming soldiers. They all started to topple over. He was back, talking to Natasha. "If you didn't have that tumour, then a lot of people would be dead already, courtesy of the Avengers." He gave a lop-sided smile. "It's kinda crazy."

Natasha half-smiled. "The thought had occurred." She looked at his quiver. "How many more of those knock out arrows do you have?"

"Not enough," said Clint simply.

"Then we have to keep moving."

**oooOOOOooo**

Thor glanced over his shoulder at the Defenders who were standing on a rocky outcrop, watching the battle below. He and Steve were both currently ducking and weaving between a barrage of tank shells and bullets. "Steve Rogers, why do the Defenders stand back? Why do they not fight against us?"

"Orders, I'm guessing," grunted Steve as he back-flipped away from a bazooka round and held up his shield to protect against the rain of bullets coming their way. "I'm thinking Ghost is going to let the army tire us out, knowing full well we're not going to hurt anyone, and then send in the Defenders to finish us off and claim all the glory."

"The blonde sorceress' evil knows no bounds," said Thor darkly.

"She's a piece of work alright," said Steve tightly as he tossed his shield at the group of men running towards him, weapons drawn. He'd aimed for their feet, knocking them all over as though they were bowling pins. The odd broken foot or leg was far better than the alternative.

Thor swung his hammer above his head, gaining power before slamming it down on the ground. The desert floor rippled with shockwaves, the earth opening up in places and toppling tanks over onto their side. The tactical onslaught was momentarily knocked off balance. Thor looked up as he heard the roar of engines above his head. "Behold," he said to Steve, "your metal winged carriers have arrived."

Steve looked up and blew out a frustrated breath as the fighter plans zoomed over head. "Fantastic, now we've got aerial attacks to deal with as well."

A tank shell whistled over Thor's head and impacted on the mountain behind him. Steve was standing nearby and was knocked off his feet by the blast. A huge piece of the mountain came loose and toppled to the ground.

"THOR!" Steve yelled at him, but by then it was too late. A piece of debris, at least the size of a car had fallen down onto Thor.

Thor managed to brace for the impact, the weight of the debris pinning him to the ground. It took him a split second to realise that he hadn't sustained any real injuries from the falling piece of the mountain. He was, however, stuck. Thor attempted to raise Mjölnir to break the rock into smaller pieces but found he didn't have enough room to swing his mighty hammer.

Steve's anxious voice came to him. "Thor, are you alright?"

"Aye, Steve Rogers," he replied. "I am unharmed, but trapped."

Thor saw Steve rush to his aid, grabbing one end of the huge piece of rock and attempting to move it. Thor used his shoulder to try and help him, but simply didn't have the right leverage. He looked over at the tank which had fired at him and now their cannon were pointed right at him. Thor realised they were about to fire on him. "Stand away, Steve Rogers!" he ordered the other man quickly. "Your life is in peril."

Steve looked over to the tank now and saw what was about to happen. He didn't leave though, just started pushing harder on the mammoth piece of rock. "I'm not leaving you," he grunted around his exertions.

"Your nobility is admirable, but there is no need for both of us to die this day. Away, Steve Rogers, save yourself."

"Not… gonna… happen," said a red-faced Steve who hadn't stopped trying to lift the rock the whole time.

Thor scowled, grateful for the man's loyalty but not wanting him to die with him. But then Thor understood the warrior's code. He only wished this was not how things should end for them. Suddenly a giant, green blur plummeted from the sky and landed squarely in front of the tank. The ground shook at the force of the impact. The Hulk snarled and grabbed the main gun of the tank and promptly started to swing it around and around, as though he was playing hammer throw with a tank. He eventually let go and the tank sailed off into the air.

Tony was dropping down by Thor's side. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Hope you don't mind, I brought a friend to this little shindig you're having. He's not completely house-trained, but he sure is a hell of a lot of fun at parties." Tony grabbed the Buick-sized piece of rock and lifted it effortlessly off Thor, throwing it to one side.

The Hulk was now running between all the soldiers, grabbing at the tanks and tearing them to pieces with his bare hands. The soldiers were fleeing from the ripped apart vehicles, as the Hulk made short work of their armour-plated shells.

Thor accepted Tony's help to stand up and shot a concerned look towards the rampaging Hulk. "Verily, Tony Stark, are you sure the Behemoth is required here? He could easily kill many people."

"But he won't," said a confident Tony. "Bruce chose the Hulk today and I think that is going to give him a control over Giant Green that he's never had before."

"You're betting a lot of lives on that hunch," Steve cautioned him.

"Bruce has made his play," said Tony determinedly, "and I'm going to back it, all the way."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Agent Coulson, report." Fury's voice was its usual no nonsense self.

Coulson braced himself against the car dash as it sped along towards their destination, the Agent behind the wheel confidently navigating the streets. "ETA less than three minutes, sir," he replied. "We're almost there."

"You need to lock this down, Agent Coulson," Fury ordered him. "The Avengers can't hold back the military for much longer, not without lives being lost."

"I'm on it, sir," said Coulson calmly. "You'll hear from me in a few minutes."

Coulson knew what he had to do and nothing and no one was going to stop him.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony shot up into the air and honed in on the fighter jet which had been laying down ground fire at the others. He popped up in front of the pilots cock pit and shook his head at him. "And that's enough from you, I think." Tony zoomed in and tore guns from the wings of the yet and bent over the metal where the bombs could be dropped from. The multi-million dollar fighter yet was now completely harmless. Tony zipped up in the pilot's view again and gave a little mock salute before heading off to the next jet to give it the same treatment. The other jets were firing on him now, so he had to skilfully manoeuvre between the blasts of bullets. Even so, Tony was used to multi-skilling. "Jarvis, dial up Pepper, I want to check if she's still okay."

"Now, sir?"

Tony narrowly missed being struck by a barrage of bullets. "Yes, now." He barrel rolled to safety and landed on the jet, pulling off its guns.

"Very good, sir." There was a pause and then Jarvis spoke again. "Sir, Ms. Potts isn't answering her phone."

Tony frowned as he was being chased down by two more fighter jets. "Why?"

"It is beyond my capabilities to answer that, sir."

Tony continued to dismantle the jets' weapons but he was vaguely distracted. "Can you locate her?"

"No, sir," said Jarvis apologetically. "The data from Ms. Potts' implanted tracking device was routed through the Avengers' Tower and I'm continuing to have no relay into that system."

Tony's frown deepened. "Still? I thought when the nano-bots lost control of us, you might be able to regain control of the Tower."

"Regretfully, sir, that has not been the case... and you have a Sidewinder missile on your tail."

"I see it," said Tony, now shooting straight up into the sky and making the missile follow him. "Just keep trying Pepper's number."

"Do you believe something to be amiss, sir?"

Tony hesitated. He had no reason to believe Pepper was anything but safely sipping coffee in a restaurant but he couldn't shake this sudden feeling of unease. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm going to feel better when I hear her voice." Tony always felt better when he could hear Pepper's voice.

"I'll continue to attempt to make a connection, sir."

**oooOOOOooo**

Jerry hovered over the computer screen and reached for his bottle of Mylanta. How could he have stomach ulcers at twenty-three? He glanced over at the large man sitting in the corner, gun in his lap. Oh yeah, that's right. He just wanted today to be over, preferably with him still being alive. Was that too much to ask?

"Hey, four eyes, you got any food?"

The voice of his frightening minder came from behind him and Jerry didn't bother to turn around. "There is pizza in the fridge." Jerry concentrated on his computer screen for a minute. "Did you find it?" When there was no answer he turned around and started violently. His minder was unconscious on the floor and the room had three men in dark suits standing in it, all with their guns drawn.

The man in the middle walked towards him, gun pointed at his head. "Jeremiah Weems?"

Jerry forced out a croaky reply with a throat constricted with fear. "Don't kill me," he whimpered.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," the man ordered him.

Jerry stuck his hands up in the air, face pale with fear. "I'm not armed, I promise. Please don't kill me."

"If you want to stay alive, then you better do everything I say, exactly the way I say to do it."

Jerry's head bobbed up and down. "Yes, sir."

"Are you Jeremiah Weems?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who do you work for?"

Jerry hesitated, not sure how to answer that in light of the events of today.

The man with the neatly combed brown hair, took a step closer. "We don't have time for any misplaced loyalties, Mr. Weems. Answer the question."

"I don't have loyalties," he assured him hastily. "It's-it's just that I'm having trouble thinking with guns pointed at me."

The man lowered his gun and nodded at the men behind him to do the same. He turned his attention back to Jerry. "Mr. Weems, my name is Agent Coulson and I work for SHIELD. You are currently in a very precarious predicament as my men have this building surrounded and the only way you're getting out of here in one piece is if I say so. Do I make myself clear?"

Was there no end to the number of times his life was going to be threatened today? "Yes, sir," said Jerry unevenly.

"Who do you work for?" The man's tone brooked no further stalling.

"I did work for Justin Hammer but now I think I'm working for Ghost," said Jerry quickly. "I think there was a coup." He pulled a face. "I'm guessing it wasn't a bloodless one."

"Who is Ghost?"

"I have no idea but she really, really scares me."

Agent Coulson scanned all the hardware and computer screens around him. "And you're the one behind the scenes making their little power plays possible?"

"I guess," said Jerry unhappily. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"In that case, I have a job for you," said Agent Coulson. "Stand up."

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" he asked shakily.

"I'm going to give you a chance to make some amends," came the stern reply. "You've put a lot of lives in danger today and now you can play your part in fixing that." Agent Coulson spoke into his comlink. "Sir, we've secured Weems and he's willing to testify."

"You're arresting me?" Jerry was devastated, but he guessed that made sense. He just knew he wasn't going to do well in prison. He was going to be some guy named Bubba's plaything by the end of the week. God, this was a disaster and there was no way out. Chase Cavanaugh, international playboy and devil may care man of fortune, would think of a way out of this situation, but Jerry Weems was just rooted to the spot in fear.

"Eventually, but first you're going to tell your story to the people that matter." Agent Coulson took out a disk from his coat pocket and laid it on the console.

Immediately the holographic image of President Lee, flanked by two grey-haired men in General's uniforms was in front of Jerry's eyes. He blinked, overcome. "President Lee," he gasped. Jerry looked at Agent Coulson. "Can he see me?"

"I can see and hear you, son," replied the President, his face set in stern seriousness. "Director Fury informs us you have some information about the situation unfolding in Los Alamos. Speak up, son, lives are at stake."

Jerry opened his mouth and just blurted out the truth, all of it. From being recruited by Hammer and the man's insane plans to make Tony Stark pay, to his plans to seize power from the government. Jerry told them all about the recruitment of the Defenders and how they were designed to take down the Avengers after Hammer had finished framing them. He then rushed on to tell them about Ghost and how her plans seemed to be even more destructive and dangerous then Hammers. When he was done, Jerry was breathless. He looked uncertainly at the grim-faced President. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't want to do any of this, but they were going to kill me if I didn't co-operate."

"So, you put your life above millions of Americans?" replied President Lee sharply.

Jerry felt sick to his stomach. "Yes, sir, and I feel real bad about that."

"What you've done is treason, Mr. Weems and we don't take that lightly." The President sat back in his chair. "But we'll deal with you another day. Right now, we have to call off the attack on the Avengers. They're the innocent victims in all of this."

Another man's voice could be heard in the room. "Agent Coulson is uploading all the information stored on Weems' computer system. You'll have all the concrete evidence of this conspiracy plot in your hands in moments, Mr. President."

"I'm ordering the military to stand down, Director Fury," answered President Lee, "and I will apologise to them personally for what has happened today. I'm very glad to know that we are, as we have always been, on the same side."

"And always will be, sir. Agent Coulson?"

'

"Sir?"

"Secure the prisoner and all of his equipment and bring it all back to the heli-carrier."

"Yes, sir."

"And Agent Coulson, good work. You've saved a lot of lives today."

"No, sir, the Avengers did that, I just provided ground support. That's my job."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve, Thor and the Hulk stood and watched as the army fell back, all of them sharing a huge sense of relief. Steve felt some of the tension leave his body. It had gone against every instinct he had to fight against men wearing US military uniforms and he was glad no one had lost their lives. Clint and Natasha emerged from the LANL building and came to stand with them as Tony dropped from the sky.

"Score one for Agent Coulson," noted Tony as he watched the army retreat. "I didn't want that to go on for much longer because someone was going to get hurt."

Before Steve could agree, Ghost walked out confidently from the other side of the LANL building, flanked by the Defenders. "Day isn't over yet," she informed them coolly.

The Hulk made a low, threatening growl, his eyes narrowing when he saw her.

"Looks like the Hulk remembers you," said Tony. "That's not good news for you."

Ghost looked unfazed. "Do I look worried?"

"Give it up, lady," said Steve sharply. "You're plans are ruined. We've defeated you at every turn and this is the end of the road."

Ghost arched a white-blonde eyebrow at him. "On the contrary, Captain, this is only the beginning of the road." She held up a black control box in her hand as she walked over to him. "Do you really think I'd leave something this big to chance?" She glanced at the control box in her hand. "This is the control box which enables me to remotely detonate the explosives I've planted in the nuclear weapons silo. I press a button and America gets a new coast line."

"You're bluffing," Tony challenged her. "Press that button and you're as dead as we are."

"You're not going to take the risk I'm crazy enough to do it," said Ghost confidently. "There are too many lives on the line."

Steve's jaw hardened as he took a step towards her, rage filling him that anyone could be that cavalier about so many people's lives. His hands curled into fists as he fought against the impulse to do the woman some real damage.

Ghost smirked. "Come now, you wouldn't hit a woman, would you? Not the overly moral Captain America." Suddenly Ghosts' face dissolved and her blonde hair was replaced by brunette as she underwent a startling metamorphosis before their very eyes. Maggie's face, or rather Peggy's face, stared back at him challengingly. "Particularly a woman you love."

Steve felt like he'd been punched in the stomach as he realised the depth of the woman's deception and how he'd played so willingly into her hands. While Steve was still reeling, Natasha stepped past him and in one swift move, punched Ghost hard in the face, crumpling the other woman to the ground.

"I don't have a problem with it," Natasha assured them all.

Natasha had moved so quickly, even the Defenders were caught off guard. Ghost held up an imperious hand as they moved to attack. "Stand down!" she ordered them as blood trickled from her split lip.

The control device had been knocked out of Ghost's hand and it rolled to a stop in front of the Hulk.

"Hulk, quickly, smash," said Tony.

The Hulk bent down and picked up the box, which looked tiny in his giant hands. He threw it into his mouth and chomped down on the metal and wires.

"Man," noted Tony as he watched the Hulk happily chewing away, "I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to regret you doing that in twenty-four hours, big guy."

"Is it just me, or did that feel anti-climatic to anyone else?" Clint asked of no one in particular.

Natasha stood over Ghost, giving her a cold look. "I believe there was some talk of this being the end of the road for you?"

Ghost just smiled and wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth as she looked up at Natasha. "And I believe I told you this was only the beginning." Around her wrist was a metal bracelet with a series of buttons. Before anyone could stop her, Ghost pressed one of the buttons.

Steve tensed, half-expecting for the nuclear weapons to be detonated but something else happened instead. He looked down as the earth beneath his feet started to rumble and shake. Steve looked up to see the other Avengers similarly confused.

"Avengers," said Thor, looking around, "what causes the ground to behave this way?"

"Earthquake?" suggested Clint, but didn't look convinced.

Steve had a bad feeling about this.

Ghost was smirking now. "You'll wish it was an earthquake," she predicted. "This day is far from over."

Steve squinted as he looked off into the distance. Something black was starting to colour the desert floor. "What is that?" The mass continued to get bigger and was drawing closer and soon Steve had the answer to his own question. "Is that, are they spiders?"

From beneath the ground was erupting hordes of metal spiders, each one about six feet tall. The black shapes with their scurrying metal legs were bearing down on them all, overtaking the retreated army in a deadly swarm. There seemed to be thousands upon thousands of them. They must have all been lying dormant in the underground catacombs of the Los Alamos desert, waiting to be called upon. Ghost seemed to have a never ending bag of dirty tricks to delve into and this one looked like it was going to be the worst of all of them.


	67. Chapter 67

**A/N****: Okay, another mammoth chapter from me, nearly 4500 words, boy, no wonder I'm knackered after writing these. That's at least 2 chapters for me normally. When we get through this action stuff, just a heads up, these chapters won't be as long but, they should be more frequent. So yeah, swings, roundabouts. **

**I tried really hard to get all the action done in this chapter but it just couldn't be done. So, one more action chapter to go before we move into all the angst so many of you seem so keen to get into. ;) It'll be nice to write some stuff a different kind of complicated. Action, as I continue to bitch on about it, especially this kind of mult-layered, huge action piece is quite the drain. . But, I set this up as an ultimate Avengers story, so that means there has to be plenty of action after all this build up, right? Anyways, I'll definitely be through this in one more chapter – Yay. :D **

**Okay, that's all I wanted to say, I guess. I'll try and get the next chapter to you by tomorrow. Ambitious I know, but I'm going to give it a shot. **

**Hope it's okay...**

**Chapter Sixty-Seven**

Abner Jenkins watched the mechanical spiders swarm all over the soldiers, vehicles and tanks below him. The sight sent a shudder through him. The spiders were about six feet tall and had a set of eight red, glowing eyes on each side of their head. Those eyes spat out death with the lasers which emanated from them. The body and legs were covered in what looked like short black hair, but he knew were actually more like knives. Getting physically close to these things was a death wish. The flexible creatures crawled and leapt all over the soldiers. The military was fighting back valiantly, but it was clearly a losing battle. Abner shifted his gaze and caught flashes of red, white, blue, gold and green as the Avengers were scattered about, doing their part in holding off the tide of relentless creatures. His face clouded, knowing he was watching a massacre in progress.

"What's the matter, bug boy?" Blizzard tormented him. "I thought all you insects stuck together."

Abner didn't take his eyes off the battle scene below. "Spiders are arachnids, not insects," he corrected him.

Blizzard snorted. "Whatever."

Abner turned to look at him. "Is this what you signed up for?" he asked. Abner looked at the rest of the Defenders standing on the rocky outcrop. "Is this what any of you signed up for?"

"Now's not the time to get cold feet, Jenkins," Backlash cautioned him. "Don't think Ghost is going to let any of us walk away from this."

Abner frowned. "So, you're going to go along with all of this because you're afraid?"

Backlash gave him a haughty look. "I'm going along with this because I want to be on the winning side and it's obvious Ghost is going to win. The woman doesn't have a soul. Soulless evil is always going to win out against the good guys who are burdened with a conscience."

Rhino grunted. "Conscience overrated," he growled. "Conscience no put food in belly and money in pocket."

"A lot of people are going to die today," said Abner unevenly.

Rhino moved his massive, grey shoulders in a dismissive fashion. "If not us, who care?"

Abner had wanted to make a name for himself, to have money and power. He looked back at all the fighting. He just hadn't planned on it being this kind of name.

Ghost's cold, demanding voice was in their ears. "Defenders, it's time for you to attack. I want you to concentrate on taking out the Avengers."

"Aren't the spiders going to do that?" Abner argued.

"I don't want anything left to chance," she said tersely. "Just do it."

"And spider no kill us?" Rhino queried.

"I told you," said Ghost impatiently, "they've been programmed to recognise you and not to attack. You don't have to worry about the nano-spiders, just the Avengers."

"We're on it, boss," promised Blizzard as Ghost signed off.

Abner watched the others move to join the fight. "So, we're really going to do this then?"

Backlash made an impatient noise and turned around to face him. "Look, Beetle, this is the bottom line. The Avengers are our enemy and as our enemies, they're going to try and kill us. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on being dead any time soon. If you want to sit here and grow a conscience, knock yourself out, but don't think the Avengers are going to do anything other than kill you, conscience or not. It's kill or be killed and I know which side of that equation I'm going to be on." With that Backlash nodded at Blizzard. Blizzard grabbed him and they both shot up in the air and then dived down into the melee below. Rhino leapt off the side of the cliff, shaking the ground as he impacted below and then ran into the battle. A reluctant Abner was left in their wake. He sighed heavily and put his helmet on before following the others, knowing he didn't want to die today.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony was darting in and out of the swarming spiders, as they leapt into the air in their hundreds. While he was shooting down them, he was also trying to lay down some protective fire for the besieged soldiers below. It was taking all his skill and agility to avoid being hit by the laser blasts from the metal creature's eyes and avoid their spitting venom. The venom took out anything mechanical it hit and then melted it into a puddle. Tony did not want to be on the wrong end of one of those strikes. "Jarvis," he said urgently, the guns mounted on his shoulders popping up and laying waste to another bank of spiders, "have you got a fix on the signal for these things yet?" From experience, Tony knew it was their only hope of stopping these spiders. They needed to find the signal which was controlling the spiders and allowing them to reform.

"I have, sir, and it's not good news. Each spider is fitted with its own signal."

Outwardly Tony continued to fight the spiders without missing a beat, inwardly he was cursing. "Are you telling me there is no central signal for these spiders?"

"Unfortunately no, sir."

Tony shook his head as he landed on top of a half-melted tank and let out a blast from his chest uni-beam, helping some pinned down soldiers make it to safety. "Ghost sure knows how to up the ante."

"Indeed, sir."

Tony's mind was racing. Clearly the material which made up the signal box for each spider was the same nano-bot infused metal which kept the metal insects reforming. Destroying the spider would only have them reforming, signal intact. "Jarvis, is it the same signal in each spider?" A thought had occurred to him.

"Yes, sir."

"So, they're all part of the same collective?"

"I believe that would be one understanding of the arrangement."

Tony's eyes narrowed behind the Iron Man mask before he swooped in and pulled three soldiers from certain death. He dropped them behind a protective out crop of rocks and then flew back into the fray. "Jarvis, give me a scan of this entire area, above and below ground. I need to see every little nook and cranny of this place and I need it yesterday."

"Retrieving the data now, sir."

Tony had a kernel of an idea. Now he just had to see how impossible it was going to be and stay alive long enough to execute it. He took a hit of laser fire to his left arm before recovering quickly and blasting the offending spider with his repulsors. "Jarvis, come on, I need those maps," he said in frustration.

"Uploading now."

Tony studied the topographical maps of the land on the multiple screens in front of him, even while he continued to shoot at spiders. He started to see a way his plan could work and didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**oooOOOOooo**

Coulson stared in horror at the images on the screens in front of him. The metal spiders were overrunning the army forces, even as the Avengers tried to do battle with both them and the Defenders. He turned to an anxious looking Jerry. "Did you know about this?" he demanded fiercely.

Jerry looked even more afraid. "Yes, but I didn't know Ghost was going to activate them." His expression changed, looking eager to please. "But I can stop this."

Coulson gave him an intent look. "How?"

"Between all the things Ghost and Hammer kept giving me to do, I got really afraid," he said hastily. "So, I built a kill switch into the spider programming, in case things got really out of hand."

Coulson's lips thinned. "I think we crossed that line some time back," he pointed out grimly. "These spiders, are you telling me you can deactivate them from here?"

Jerry nodded energetically. "Yes, I just have to run the program."

"Do it," Coulson ordered him as he reached for his cell phone.

Jerry sat down at the computer console and started tapping away at the keys, on his way to activating the fail safe.

Coulson walked out of the room to stand in the doorway as he connected with Fury. "Sir, it looks like we have a way to neutralise the nano-spiders," he said quickly.

Fury was as direct as always. "How?"

"Weems has built in a kill switch for the nano-spider program. He got nervous and wanted an out if push came to shove."

"I think we're definitely at the shove stage," said Fury tersely.

"Agreed, sir, he's deactivating them now."

Jerry's distressed voice interrupted their conversation. "Wait, no, this isn't right."

"Hold on a minute, sir," said Coulson. He directed his next question at Jerry. "What is it, what's wrong?"

Jerry was madly jabbing away at the keys as he tried to get his program to respond. "Someone has found my fail safe," he said unevenly. "When I went to activate it, a virus was released. My whole program has been wiped."

Coulson didn't let his frustration show. It seemed they had another example of Ghost being one step ahead of everyone.

Jerry turned around and looked at Coulson with panicky eyes. "I can't stop the spiders. I'm sorry, please don't kill-". He didn't get any further as an explosion from under the console rocked the room, catching everyone unawares as they were all flung about.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha lobbed a grenade up under the belly of a spider as it leapt over her head and ducked for cover as it was blown into a million pieces. She knew that those pieces were eventually going to find their way back to each other, but she was determined not to make it easy for them. As Natasha pulled out her Glock to continue shooting, she caught a flash of too blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. The movement immediately had her attention as she turned and saw Ghost running through all the chaos, clearly heading somewhere. She'd gone missing once the attack had started and was clearly counting on everyone being too distracted to keep tabs on her. But then Ghost hadn't counted on her. That punch had felt really good and while Natasha rarely let her emotions get involved with a confrontation, she knew it was going to feel even better to finish the job. Natasha took off after the fleeing woman. "I've got eyes on Ghost," she told the others as she ran along, dodging all the chaos and not taking her gaze off the running woman ahead of her. "I'm going after her. If anyone has a way to shut these spiders down, it's her."

"Keep us in the loop," Steve instructed her, "and be careful."

"I'm not the one you should be worrying about," said Natasha grimly, already thinking about the many ways she was going to beat a way to deactivate the spiders out of the other woman.

**oooOOOOooo**

Coulson was knocked off his feet by the force of the blast. His back hit the wall behind him and a pain shot through the still-healing wound in his chest. He gasped for breath as the ringing in his ears nearly deafened him. Coulson forced himself to stand on shaky legs and peered through the smoke and dust. The two Agents were on the ground, not moving. He stumbled towards them, bending down and checking for pulses, there were none. Coulson knew he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him right then. He staggered towards where Jerry was propped up against the wall, face covered in black smears and dirt. Coulson grimaced as he knelt down beside Jerry. He placed a hand over the pain in his chest and felt the wetness of his own blood seeping through his reopened wound. Coulson reached out and checked for a pulse on Jerry and found one. Jerry started to moan weakly but his eyes didn't open.

A hissing noise had Coulson looking over his shoulder and then up. Above them, a white gas was coming from the air conditioning vent. "Damn," he said quietly, knowing that was unlikely to be anything but poisonous gas. Ghost really didn't like to leave anything to chance. She played for keeps . Coulson looked back at Jerry who was fading in and out of consciousness and knew he wasn't going to be able to get himself out of here. He grabbed the groggy man and threw him over his shoulder, gritting his teeth against the terrible pain it caused his wound. Already Coulson's head was starting to swim from the poisonous gas. He grabbed the edge of his suit coat and put it over his mouth to try and ward the noxious stuff off. Coulson headed out of the room, the limp Jerry flung over his shoulder. There had been a lot of structural damage to the building and it was hard to tell which way was out, particularly with more and more gas clouding the air. A shimmer of light ahead of him had Coulson staggering towards it, trying to stay upright with his load and the uneven ground. He arrived at a part of the building's outer wall which had partially collapsed. Coulson kicked his way through the bits of wood and wall, stumbling out into the sunshine. His knees buckled, the gas having taken its toll on him. He and Jerry fell to the ground in a heap. Coulson lay there, on his stomach on the ground, gasping in fresh air and trying to ward off unconsciousness. He felt the weight of Jerry moving off him and then he was being dragged further away from the building, to the safeness of untainted air.

Jerry's anxious face came into his field of vision as he crouched down beside Coulson, putting his face level with his. "You saved my life, man," his voice full of unsteady gratitude. "Thank you, thank you so much."

Coulson opened his mouth to try and force out words but only ended up making a rasping dry noise.

Jerry looked around himself anxiously and then back at Coulson. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here. I can't go to prison, I just can't." He patted Coulson awkwardly on the back. "You're going to fine, those other agents will find you soon." Jerry looked like he wanted to cry. "I'm real sorry, I am." With that, Jerry stood up and from Coulson's limited field of view, he saw him run off in the opposite direction.

It was the last thing Agent Coulson saw before he lost unconsciousness.

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint scanned the battlefield from where he'd set up position on a rocky outcrop. It gave him an eagle-eyed view of what was happening below and the most strategic use of his arsenal. He strung an explosive-tipped arrow and put it into the heart of a spider which was dismantling a tank. The metal creature blew apart, taking out another two as it did. While he was doing that, Clint had also been keeping an eye on Natasha chasing down Ghost in amongst the writing spider bodies and soldiers running around, trying to mark out defensive lines. In a split second he'd lost a visual on both women. "Natasha," he said sharply, "I've lost you, where are you?"

"Down," came the confusing reply.

"You're down?" repeated Clint in concern.

"Ghost has gone underground," replied Natasha, obviously still running. "There seems to be this network of underground caves."

Thor broke in on their conversation. "T'is where the sorceress hid these foul beasts," he concluded. "By their number, the caves must be great in number."

"Kick her ass, Nat," Clint instructed her. "That crazy has cost a lot of people their lives today."

"It'll be my pleasure," came Natasha's grim reply.

Clint half-smiled, knowing that tone of her voice well. It never paid to get on the wrong side of Natasha Romanoff. Clint raised his bow and arrow and went to explode some more spiders when suddenly his bow was snatched from his hand by the lash of a whip. His head jerked around and saw Backlash standing there, whip raised above his head.

Backlash's lips turned up into a smirk. "Let's see how good you are without your bow and arrow, Robin Hood," he said mockingly.

Clint didn't miss a beat, going for his gun in a split second and shooting Backlash in the right arm. The man howled and dropped his whip, grabbing at his arm. Clint knew he'd lodged that bullet in the perfect place, blocking nerve endings and making it impossible for Backlash to wield his weapon of choice.

Clint arched an eyebrow. "And let's see how good you are without your toys, Mr. Whippy."

Backlash snarled and charged at him, tackling Clint to the ground. The battle was now one of strength and cunning and Clint was just as comfortable with that as he was with his bow and arrows.

**oooOOOOooo**

Thor let loose with his hammer and flung it far from him, enjoying watching it shatter a row of spiders before returning to his hand, unscathed. His lips thinned in annoyance as already he could see the broken pieces moving to reform. "What manner of enemy will not die when destroyed?" he muttered to himself in annoyance. Thor knew there was little he could do but attempt to hold back this swarm of malignant creatures and save as many Midgardians as he could. The ultimate answer to the question of how to defeat these metal beasts would be in the hands of those who understood this sorcery better than he. While it frustrated Thor that he could not lend his knowledge to defeating this enemy, he knew he had more than enough strength to make a difference. He leapt up into the air, hammer twirling above his head, ready to do more damage to the spiders when a sharp pain rocked his whole body.

Thor had trouble comprehending what was happening to him for a split second and then he realised he'd been encased in ice. He plummeted the short distance to the ground, completely entombed in his icy prison at least a foot thick all round. The freezing cold was biting into his skin and slowing his blood supply. Thor flexed his muscles, working against his inflexible frozen cage. The ice gave way with a final strain from Thor and burst open, spraying icicles everywhere as he straightened up. Thor shook his head, removing the last of ice from his hair and face. He turned to face the man in the silver and blue suit standing behind him. Thor straightened up to his full imposing height. "Is that thy best, little man?" he asked imperiously. "I will give you caution now, Blizzard, I have fought Ice Giants and not been bested." He looked the other man up and down contemptuously. "And you are no Ice Giant." Blizzard raised his hands and let out an icy blast towards him. Thor simply leapt into the air and avoided the frozen hits. He shook his head at him. "You would do well not to make an enemy of me."

"We're already enemies," retorted Blizzard. "And there is only going to be one person who walks away from this fight."

Thor threw his hammer at Blizzard, catching him in the chest with his hammer. Blizzard flew backwards, smashing up against the rocks behind him. He watched the man struggling to get up. "I believe your statement to be a true one," noted Thor in wry amusement. Blizzard attempted to shoot another blast of ice at Thor, but only a disappointing trickle was emitted from his suit. Thor shook his head and looked vaguely disgusted. "You are no worthy opponent of Thor."

Blizzard's suit was cracked and hissing gas as he staggered to his feet. "This ain't over yet," he snarled and attempted to use his suit to fire ice at Thor again and again, it failed. Thor folded his arms in front of his broad chest and gave him an impassive look. Blizzard pointed an angry finger at Thor. "I'll be back!" he threatened him and engaged his suit's thrusters, shooting up into the air. Unfortunately the suit was still malfunctioning as it struggled to provide Blizzard with a proper trajectory. Instead of flying off in the direction Blizzard had intended, the suit flew up and backwards, promptly hurling the man into the rocky overhand above. The overhang gave way under the force of the impact and Thor watched as Blizzard was brought back down to earth by heavy bits of stone raining down on top of him. Blizzard ended up in a heap on the ground, buried under rocks. Thor shook his heads. "It seems again your words were true ones, Blizzard," he said dryly. Clearly this man wasn't worthy of his attention and was a spent force. Thor knew he was needed elsewhere as he once again launched himself into the air and went after more spiders. He wondered idly if the other Avengers were finding the Defenders to somewhat of a minor inconvenience rather than a major threat.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve held up his shield and warded off Beetles' electrostatic blasts. Beetle had swooped in and been trying to get a good hit in for awhile now. Steve had ended up taking the fight up onto higher ground, out of the way of the spiders. It was too hard to keep out of the way of the nano-spiders and ward off Beetle's relentless attacks at the same time. This way there was only Beetle to contend with but Steve was ever conscious of the fact that while he wasted time with this Defender, people were dying below him. He needed to end this now. Beetle was flying above him in the air and Steve took his opportunity when the other man was forced to dodge some random firing from below. Steve flung his shield at Beetle with all of his might. His shield caught Beetle in the chest, causing a wild splash of sparks to spray from the suit and Steve knew he'd done some real damage. Beetle dropped to the ground, unable to fly any longer. He ran at Steve, tackling him to the ground as they toppled over each other. Beetle in his suit was heavy and impervious to Steve's punches, so Steve knew he had to get out of this situation quickly. Steve kicked Beetle off him and rolled to his feet in one fluid motion. Beetle was staggering to his feet, a little less gracefully but he was still upright in time to see Steve launch his shield at him again. Beetle ducked but not quite in time. The shield clipped Beetle's mask and cracked it, half of the mask coming away. Beetle stumbled back from the force of the blow and didn't realise how close he was to the edge of the cliff. He staggered backwards off the cliff and suddenly disappeared from sight. Steve rushed forward and looked down to see Beetle hanging onto some rocks just under the ledge he'd walked off. Below him was a fall that would spell certain death. Steve threw himself onto his chest and hung over the cliff and reached out his hand. "Give me your hand," he said urgently.

Beetle looked up at him, the fear and doubt obvious in the half of his face exposed as he clung onto the rock for dear life. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to save your life," said Steve in frustration.

Beetle blinked. "Why?" he rasped. "I was just trying to kill you."

"Because it's the right thing to do," said Steve simply. He extended his hand even further. "Now take my damn hand."

Beetle hesitated for only a brief second and then he was grabbing hold of Steve's hand.

Gritting his teeth, Steve pulled with all of his might and dragged Beetle back up onto the ledge and to safety. Beetle scrambled backwards, putting some distance between the two of them as he looked at Steve with fearful uncertainty.

Steve shook his head and looked at him. "Why are you doing this?" he wanted to know. "Why would anyone with your kind of talents want to use it for such destruction?" Steve didn't get his answer as some of the spiders had discovered his location. A group of them had swarmed up the side of the cliff and were now bearing down on him. Fighting his way through the black, razor-sharp legs and bodies, Steve saw Beetle running off. He grimaced and returned his attention to destroying the nano-spiders. The Defenders could be dealt with another day.

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha ran down the twisting underground tunnels, intent on chasing Ghost down. As she ran, Natasha noted that some of the tunnels seemed to be manmade and some looked like they were natural. Ghost had put a lot of planning and effort into this whole thing and she was too dangerous to let get away. Natasha rounded one last bend and found the tunnel opening out into a large cave. At the end of the cave was a shuttle, pointing directly up at the ceiling and Ghost was disappearing into it. Clearly this was the woman's exit strategy and Natasha was having none of it. She increased her speed, racing after Ghost and just managing to slide in under the closing doors. Natasha rolled to her feet and saw that Ghost was already strapped into the pilot's seat. She moved to cover the distance between them but suddenly the whole craft shuddered as thrusters were ignited. Above them the ceiling slid back and there was blue sky. Ghost engaged the craft and it took off, launching them from underneath the ground into the sky. Natasha was knocked off her feet by the force of take off and she rolled to the back of the shuttle, looking for something to hang onto.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony flew up into the air and surveyed the chaos below him, looking for his team. He caught sight of them all except for Natasha. "Black Widow, where are you?"

"I'm with Ghost and we're up."

Tony turned around as he heard jet engines behind him and off in the distance a black shuttle was launching itself into the air. "So I see. You got this?"

"Always," came the confident reply.

Tony half-smiled, almost feeling sorry for Ghost being trapped inside a confined space with a pissed off Agent Romanoff. Almost. "The rest of the Avengers, listen up, I have a plan to take out these spiders." He paused. "But just a heads up, it's insane."

"Like we'd expect anything else from you," came Steve's wry reply.

"I'm taking that as a yes," Tony informed them all. "Okay, here's what we need to do..."


	68. Chapter 68

**A/N****: Can we all say HALLELUJAH?! I have written the last of the full on action stuff for this chapter. I could cry with relief, exhaustion, et al. It's up to you guys to decide if this showdown was worth all the build up. I'm just glad it's over. .**

**Okay, so the next chapter we get to all the angsty stuff so many of you have been hanging out for. I should be able to polish those chapters off a lot more quickly than these bad boys. Hopefully you'll have another update tomorrow, if the muse is being co-operative. :D **

**Toodles...**

**Chapter Sixty-Eight**

The Hulk sailed through the air, smashing through spider bodies as he tumbled end over end.

"Hulk, are you there, big guy?"

Hulk hit the ground and shook it resoundingly. He shook his head in annoyance as the talky man's voice filled his head. "Hulk, busy," he snarled. Hulk stood up, looking through the crowd of spiders at the grey man charging towards him, head down and horn pointing directly at him. "Horny man making Hulk mad."

"Boy, I hope you're talking about Rhino," came the laconic rejoinder. "We're ready to get my plan happening. Ditch Rhino and go to your position."

Hulk dropped his shoulder and braced for the impact of Rhino, not intending to get out of his way. The two men impacted and the ground shook again. They both bounced back off each other and the Hulk was the first to his feet. He threw back his head and roared, anger flooding his body at Rhino's continued assaults on him. The talky man wanted him to finish with the grey man, then that was what he was going to do. Rhino was still trying to stand up as Hulk stalked over to a nearby abandoned tank. Hulk picked it up by the cannon and swung the tank over his head. He brought it directly down on Rhino's head, just as the other man had stood up. The ground beneath Rhino's feet sunk down. Hulk lifted the tank up again and basically began hammering the stunned Rhino into the ground in a flurry of motion. In the end only Rhino's horned and bleeding head was exposed above the ground. With one last flourish, the Hulk brought the tank down on Rhino's head and left it there.

Hulk nodded in satisfaction at the sight. "Horny man no get up anymore," he grunted.

"Super, good job, now get to your position," Tony urged him. "And remember, you have to wait for my signal, you can't do it before I tell you."

"Hulk not stupid," he huffed. "Hulk remember."

"Then remember to be careful," Tony urged him. "We have no way of knowing if even the Hulk can withstand what we need him to do. If it gets too much, get out."

He dismissed the talky man's concerns. "Hulk not scared, Hulk want to kill spiders."

"Then saddle up, we've got some exterminating to do."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve rolled his shoulders, loosening them up as he looked out into the mass of writhing bodies and picked his target. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Not even a little bit," came Tony's surprisingly candid response.

Steve grimaced. "It's customary to lie in these situations."

"In that case, yes, this is going to work, completely, one hundred and ten percent, not a worry in the world."

"How is it that your lies are more unsettling then your truths?"

"Just bad luck I guess." Tony's tone became all business then. "Okay, everyone in position?"

"Aye," came Thor's voice, "I stand by your command, Tony Stark."

"In position and locked and loaded," confirmed Clint.

There was a deafening roar in everyone's comlinks.

"And that's a yes from Hulk," said Tony dryly. "Alright, Avengers, let's get our crazy on. Cap, you're up, make us proud."

"Just be ready," Steve cautioned him.

"Born that way," replied the ever confident Tony.

Steve put a hand to his shield which was strapped to his back and checked it was secure. He took a deep breath and launched himself into the fray. Steve nimbly ran between the legs of spiders, before sliding underneath one of them. In one fluid movement he drew out a knife and rammed it into the razor covered underbelly. The spider chose that moment to leap into the air and Steve refused to let go of the knife, so he went with the creature, skyrocketing up into the air. Still clinging on, Steve inserted the silver disk Tony had given him. He changed his grip so he could withdraw the knife and saw the nano-bots immediately close over the cut. As the spider hit the ground, Steve let go and rolled away, forced to take on more spiders which were immediately upon him. "It's done!" he yelled, grabbing his shield and slicing his way through the spiders.

"Find a safe place," Tony instructed him urgently. "I'm activating now."

Steve fought off another spider and ran to where there was an overturned jeep and threw himself under it. "Clear. Do it!"

**oooOOOOooo**

"Clear. Do it!"

Tony had been waiting for those words. "Jarvis, activate the beacon."

"Yes, sir."

Tony held his breath, praying this was going to work. Nothing changed for a moment, the army was still doing battle against the rampaging spiders and his heart sank. This wasn't going to work. Suddenly one spider broke away from the rest and started to scurry towards where Tony was standing on a nearby hill top. He blew out a relieved breath. Tony stood his ground as other spiders turned around and joined the first spider. In a matter of seconds, all of the spiders were following the lead of the first spider and scuttling towards Tony at a frightening speed. "Fury, make sure the army pulls back," he said tersely, not taking his eyes off the approaching tidal wave of giant spiders. "Get them to safety."

"I hope your plan works, Stark," offered up Fury.

Tony pulled a face behind his Iron Man mask. "Me too." The spiders were almost on him now and Tony waited until he could almost reach out and touch them and then he took off. He engaged his thrusters and flew away, keeping himself about four feet off the ground. A wall of spiders were chasing him now. When he dared to look back over his shoulder, all Tony could see was black legs and bodies and glowing red eyes. "Have I got all of them?" he yelled, knowing that was the most important part of the plan. He kept just ahead of them, acting as a pied piper and enticing all the spiders to follow him.

"Yes," replied Clint from his vantage point. "The last spiders have just finished reforming and they're hot on your heels. You're the belle of the ball."

"Good," said Tony grimly. Once he'd worked out that the nano-spiders were all part of a collective, an idea had come to him. They operated as independent entities but under the same driving force, which in this case, happened to be Ghost's programming. It was like a school of sardines who all swam along in formation and would turn on a dime together in a huge group. There was a programmed in instinct to follow one another. Tony had banked on the nano-spiders working the same way. He'd quickly constructed a beacon which would hone in on his suit and that was what Steve had inserted into one of the spiders. Once one of the spiders wanted to follow Tony, the rest of them fell into line. Now Tony had thousands of spiders hot on his tail and looking to destroy him but that was just what he wanted. Up ahead of him was a cave opening. "I'm taking this party underground," he informed the rest of them.

Tony shot through the entrance of the cave, Jarvis throwing up the maps of the underground network of caves and tunnels so he knew where he was going. He sped along the tunnels, hearing the pounding of the spider bodies behind him, in close pursuit. Tony just kept his focus and continued to keep just ahead of them. The front spiders started to shoot lasers at him and Tony just prayed that they weren't going to bring the tunnels in on top of them all.

**oooOOOOooo**

Ghost stood up from behind the pilot seat and pointed her gun at Natasha. Natasha went for her guns and realised she must have lost them when she rolled onto the shuttle.

Ghost smirked. "You seem a little underdressed for this party, my dear."

Natasha glanced out the window at the scene below and had her own smirk. "I think this party is over, Ghost."

Ghost stole a quick look out the window too and saw all of her nano-spiders disappearing into a cave entrance below. She looked back at Natasha. "You don't honestly believe you can defeat my nano-spiders?" Ghost sneered. "Whatever you have planned, won't work." She levelled her gun at Natasha's face. "And it's not going to matter to you, one way or the other."

Natasha tensed, ready to dodge the bullet but fate stepped in and the auto-piloted shuttle hit a pocket of air. The shuttle temporarily shuddered and it was enough to throw Ghost off-balance for a split second. Natasha pressed her advantage, kicking the gun out of the other woman's hand. Ghost recovered quickly and threw a high kick at Natasha's head. Natasha pulled back just in time and grabbed her leg, twisting it and forcing her to flip over and fall to the ground.

Ghost glared up at her. "I don't need a gun to finish this." She kicked out at Natasha's legs and knocked her down. Ghost was on top of her now, as both women struggled for supremacy.

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint watched from his vantage point on top of a rocky overhang which gave him a clear view of the cave Tony had disappeared into with the spiders chasing him down. "They're all in," he reported, "and the army is retrieving its wounded and retreating."

"So far so good," replied Tony.

"We're a long way from the fat lady singing yet," said Clint unhappily.

"You don't have to tell me that."

**oooOOOOooo**

The lead spider hurtled down the tunnel, its' siblings right behind it. The signal inside its head went suddenly dead, but there was the memory of what they were hunting still in its head. He led them down the tunnels, all of nano-spiders sharing the single vision of their target. They surged forward, hungry to find their target.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony clung to the roof of the tunnel, holding his breath as a sea of spiders passed by underneath him. He'd turned off the beacon, betting they'd still want to pursue him and then turned on the stealth mode function of his suit. Some of the spiders were actually swarming over the top of him without realising it, as they took to the rooves of the tunnels to all fit in. Tony was glad he didn't have any kind of arachnophobia issues. The last one past over him and they were heading off out of view. "Okay, Hulk, it's your turn to shine. Make Daddy proud."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Okay, Hulk, it's your turn to shine. Make Daddy proud."

The Hulk's giant green brow furrowed as the talky man's words buzzed inside of his head. He knew the words were meant to be annoying and it was fortunate he'd been given a task which was made easier by being annoyed. The Hulk balled his hand into a giant, green fist and punched at the wall in front of him. He was standing in a tunnel at a dead end, exactly where the talky man had told him to be. Cracks appeared in the rock wall in front of him and Hulk pressed his advantage. He pummelled the wall in front of him, causing large chunks of rock to fall away. Suddenly a fissure of orange peaked out from behind the cracks and oozed out. The Hulk's upper lip curled in disgust at the smell.

"Hulk, is it working, are you through?" Steve's urgent question was in his ear.

"Red glowy stuff stinks," he grunted.

"You did it," said Steve in relief. "Now, get out of there, run, before the whole thing goes."

More and more fissures were appearing in the rock face and more of the red, oozing stuff pushed its way through. Hulk turned around as the whole tunnel started to fill up with grey fumes and ran. It was a tight fit through some of the tunnels and he tore chunks out of walls with his elbows, shoulder and head as he ran. Behind him Hulk could feel a wave of heat and he looked back over his shoulder to see a river of red and orange coming up behind him. Spatterings of the molten rock hit his back and made him roar in pain, but Hulk kept running, heading for that exit.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Sir, the Hulk has done it," said Jarvis swiftly. "The magma is flowing through the tunnels as you postulated."

Tony couldn't believe this was working. "Is it tracking like we predicted?" he asked swiftly.

"Yes, sir, the magma is on a direct path with the nano-spiders."

Tony knew they had no weapons to stop the nano-spiders, but when he'd seen they were sitting on a volcanic bed of potential eruptions, an idea had come to him. The molten rock underneath the desert of Los Alamos was heated to around 2000F and that had to be enough to melt the metal of the nano-spiders permanently and stop them from reforming. Tony was gambling everything on it.

"Sir, the magma has made first contact with the spiders," said Jarvis swiftly. "My scanners indicate that your plan is working. There is no sign of them being able to re-form. The nano-spiders are being destroyed."

"It worked," said Tony, trying to hold back his own amazement that his plan was working.

"Sir, if I could make a suggestion?"

"It's time I got the hell out of Dodge?" Tony pre-empted him. His suit was already registering a radical increase in temperature, which meant the molten rocks were getting closer.

"Indeed, sir."

Tony dropped from the ceiling and immediately flew off down through the tunnels he'd just come up. It was a race now. He had to make it out of the tunnels before the magma caught up with him. He'd carefully picked this group of underground tunnels because there was only one way in and out and that was what was going to make this plan ultimately work. He didn't need to look back over his shoulder to know the magma was catching him up. The heat inside the suit was excruciating and sweat was pouring from every pore in his body. The lower part of his armour started to glow as it heated up even more. "How much further?" asked Tony urgently.

"You'll be at the exit in fifty-eight seconds, sir," Jarvis calculated. "Your suit integrity is going to be compromised in forty-two seconds."

"It always comes back to a numbers game," Tony grunted as he increased his speed. He ducked and weaved through the winding tunnels at a blistering speed but the magma seemed able to keep up with ease. Tony glanced over his shoulder and saw the orange-red mass with half-dissolved spiders writhing helplessly away in it closing in on him. He looked back to the front and blocked out the painful burning and just put everything he had into getting out of those tunnels before the magma caught him.

**oooOOOOooo**

"Clint, have you got them yet, are they clear?" asked Steve anxiously.

"Not yet," ground out Clint, feeling his own anxiety levels grow. Above him the shuttle was still circling and he knew Natasha and Ghost were throwing down. He was torn, but knew Natasha could handle herself. Right now the rest of the Avengers needed him more. Suddenly a giant, green shape burst from the cave entrance. "Hulks clear!" he reported in relief.

"And Tony Stark?" came Thor's concerned voice.

"Not yet."

Abruptly a red and gold blur burst from the cave entrance, yelling as it did. "Blow it!" Tony ordered him as he skidded along the ground, seeming to no longer be able to fly.

Clint didn't hesitate. He strung his last explosive arrow to his bow and lined up the shot. The arrow sailed through the air and hit its mark perfectly. The rock face above the cave entrance detonated into a million pieces. Large pieces of rock and rubble rained down on the entrance of the cave, sealing it up completely. "The entrance is sealed." Clint squinted, looking for any sign of molten rock managing to escape but so far it seemed to be holding.

"Jarvis," said Steve quickly, "are all the spiders dead?"

There was a brief pause. "I'm no longer registering activity for any of them," Jarvis informed them.

Part of this crazy plan had worked, and now they had to make sure that they hadn't created a new threat for the area. Released magma was now flooding the ground underneath Los Alamos and threatening to explode to the surface if something wasn't done about it quickly.

"Alright, Thor," said Steve, "it's time to cool everything down."

**oooOOOOooo**

"Alright, Thor, it's time to cool everything down."

"As you wish, Steve Rogers." Thor looked down at the lake below him and dived off from the cliffs above. He hit the water at a perfect angle and slipped into the water. Thor swam under the water until he was at a rock face. Tony Stark had assured him that this rock face connected to the tunnels the released magma was currently filling up. All Thor had to do was open up hole between the lake and the tunnels filling with magma and instantly cool down the liquid rocks, preventing any threat of eruptions to the surface. Thor pulled back his hammer and swung it at the rock face with all of his might. Cracks appeared, even as his lungs started to run out of oxygen from being underwater. Thor ignored that though, as he repeatedly swung his hammer at the rock face. The cracks became bigger and bigger and then a hole appeared. Immediately lake water was being sucked into the hole and Thor had to fight with all of his strength to prevent being sucked in along with it. He swam to the surface. As soon as his head was above water, Thor sucked in lung fulls of air. "It is done," he panted to the others. "The menace is quenched."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony was lying on his back on the desert ground, trying not to black out from the heat. "Jarvis," he said weakly, "get me out of this thing."

"I cannot, sir, all the mechanisms have been melted."

The Hulk's face appeared in Tony's blurry line of vision. He went to grab at Tony's Iron Man suit and then gave a roar of pain as the ultra-heated metal burned him. The Hulk shook his hand and glared at Tony, as though it was his fault.

"A-a little help," gasped Tony, literally feeling like a lobster in a cooking pot in that moment.

The Hulk grunted and tore at Tony's suit, ignoring the pain and pulled Tony out of it, like he was shucking a pea from a pod. He held Tony's limp and sweat soaked body in his hands. Tony held up his hand and clicked his fingers. "Oh garcon," he punned shakily, "bucket of ice at table eight, my good man."

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha delivered some satisfying punches to the face of Ghost, leaving the other woman with more than a few cuts and bruises. Ghost had landed a few blows, but Natasha had quickly worked out her strengths and weaknesses as a fighter and was using them against her. Ghost hit the ground after one particularly hard kick from Natasha, but in doing so, she was able to retrieve her gun. Natasha rushed her, trying to neutralise this new threat. She grabbed Ghost's wrist and the two of them struggled for control. Natasha pointed the gun away from herself as Ghost pulled the trigger. The gun fired into the console of the shuttle and immediately the craft began to spin wildly out of control. Natasha and Ghost were flung about, bumping against the ceiling, walls and floor of the shuttle in quick succession. They ended up on the ceiling together as the shuttle stayed the wrong way up. Ghost still had her gun and she pointed it directly at Natasha's face. Without hesitation, Ghost pulled the trigger but it misfired.

Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Looks like your luck has run out at last."

"I make my own luck," she shot back through her bruised and swollen lips. Ghost scrambled for the parachute pack down the other end of the shuttle and threw it over her shoulders. "There is only one," she informed Natasha with a triumphant look and then she was jumping from the barrel rolling craft.

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint shook his head at Tony's ability to crack wise, even when he should be technically melting. He glanced up to see the shuttle with Ghost and Natasha on it now flipped upside down, and heading towards the ground at a frightening speed. "Nat!" he yelled. "What the hell is going on?!"

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha quickly crawled to the opening Ghost had just jumped through. Below her, Ghost's parachute had already deployed. However, the shuttle was coming up quickly behind her and caught the parachute on its downward pointing nose. Ghost was now caught up on the nose of the shuttle, going down with her own ship. Natasha watched her struggle to free herself from the parachute, but it was no use. Their eyes met briefly and Natasha saw angry defiance in the other woman's gaze, but they both knew there was nothing either one could do for her.

"Nat! What the hell is going on?!"

Clint's concerned voice had Natasha focusing on her own escape now. She looked down at the rapidly approaching ground and spotted Clint on top of a nearby mountain. "Plan B," she instructed him hastily.

"Oh crap."

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint kept his eyes on the shuttle as it spiralled towards the earth. He watched a black figure leap from the doomed craft. Natasha flew through the air, heading towards the ravine he was standing above. She whistled past at him in the distance, moving at an incredible speed. Clint rapidly strung an arrow shot it below them both and then threw himself off the cliff as well, giving chase to Natasha. He tucked his body in, making himself into an aerodynamic arrow shape to catch up with Natasha. Below them both, his arrow had found its mark, spreading out a net to catch them both. Now all they had to do was make sure they landed in it. Clint honed in on Natasha, making contact and wrapping his arms around her tightly as they both fell now. They were facing each other, arms wrapped around each other's waist and Clint went with his instincts. He closed the tiny space between their lips and caught Natasha up in a passionate kiss as they plummeted through the sky together. Natasha gasped her surprise and Clint pressed his advantage, deepening the kiss. Natasha tasted even better than Clint remembered and he lost himself in their kiss completely. Natasha returned his kisses wholeheartedly and it was a perfect moment. So much so, it was almost a surprise when the net caught them both. The impact broke the kiss as Clint ended up on top of her. He looked down at her, heart beating wildly in his chest and it was just from their near-death experience. "Told you, you wouldn't see it coming," he said huskily.

Natasha looked up at him with wide blue eyes and for the briefest moment there was such emotion there. "Clint," she whispered and then her eyelids fluttered close as a streak of bright red blood ran from her nose.

Clint's insides froze as he watched her lapse into unconsciousness and realised something was seriously wrong. "Help," he called out shakily. For the first time, since this whole thing had started, panic flooded through him. Clint's voice gained more strength as Natasha remained unmoving underneath him. "Help, someone, I need HELP!"


	69. Chapter 69

**A/N****: And so the fall out chapters start. :D I was reading on one of the websites about IM3 how Pepper will have an integral part to play in the movie which I'm super excited about. Then I read that GP isn't confirming if she'll do another IM movie and people are speculating Pepper won't survive IM3. I honestly never even considered that happening. I'd be devastated if Pepper doesn't make it out of IM3 alive. :( Pepper is such an important part of Tony that his character doesn't work as well for me without her. I'm really hoping they won't go there and RDJ talks GP into more movies. He talked her into the Avengers, after all. I think he'd be a hard guy to say no to, personally. ;) **

**Okay, so on with the chapter. I'm hopeful of another one tomorrow as well. This kind of stuff is way faster to write then the action. :D **

**Hope you enjoy. **

**Chapter Sixty-Nine**

The Avengers sat in the hospital waiting room, quietly keeping vigil. The only real sound was Bruce's chewing as he downed candy bar after candy bar, discarding them by his feet. The discarded wrappers were already almost up to his knee. Tony was sitting across from him and moved a little restlessly in his chair, glancing over at Steve, Thor and Clint down more than a few seats away. Clint was bent over, head in his hands and not moving. He'd barely spoken since they'd arrived. They'd gotten out of him that Natasha's injuries had to do with a brain tumour she'd been hiding from them. When they'd gotten to the hospital, she'd been taken in for immediate surgery. After that Clint had stopped talking.

"Don't even think about coming closer," Steve cautioned him. "You two stink."

"It's only the sulphur smell from the lava," Tony said dismissively. "It's not that bad." It felt good to have the distraction of idle chatter. Natasha was fighting for her life and there was nothing any of them could do about it. He knew they were all hating it.

"Magma," Bruce corrected him around a mouthful of chocolate. "Magma is under the ground, lava is above."

"It still stinks," declared Steve. He sat back in his chair and they lapsed into silence again.

Fury had stayed behind and helped with the clean up, instructing the team to stay together. They would have anyway. One of their number was down and no one was going anywhere until they knew for sure Natasha was going to be alright. Tony glanced over at the despondent figure Clint cut and felt the other man's pain. He knew what it was to fear for the people you cared about. His instincts about there being more between Clint and Natasha then they were admitting to, most likely even to themselves seemed to be on the money.

Steve moved in his seat, breaking the silence again. "Everyone is thinking it," he said in frustration. "I'm just going to say it. Natasha should have told us about the brain tumour. We let her go into battle and risk her life."

"We all risked our lives, Steve," Tony defended her. "And I get why she didn't tell us." He glanced over at the still silent Clint. "Most of us anyway."

"She could die because we let her fight today," said Steve unevenly, clearly upset at the idea.

"Verily," interrupted Thor, "I do not believe we have the power to let Natasha Romanoff do anything. For a warrior, there is never any choice but to lend your strength to battle."

"And if she hadn't, we'd all be dead now," Tony observed.

"We don't know that," insisted Steve stubbornly.

"It's a pretty good bet," returned Tony. "Look, Natasha did what she had to do. It was her choice and none of you would know what you'd do if you were facing something like that." He pulled a face. "All I know is that she handled it a hell of a lot better than I did when I was facing my own mortality."

Steve looked pensive. "I just feel like we failed her as a team. We should have known. We should have been able to protect her."

"Some fights you can only face alone," said Tony quietly. "None of us might like it, but that's just the reality of the situation."

Jane appeared in the doorway and walked up to Bruce, her arms loaded up to overflowing with candy bars. "I raided every vending machine I could find," she told him as she dumped the chocolates on the chair next to Bruce. "I hope it's enough."

"Thanks, Jane," said Bruce around a mouthful of Snickers and M&M's, "that was sweet of you." He reached for a handful of the bars and started tearing the wrappers off.

"I'm just glad to have something to do," she said, taking a seat next to Thor who smiled warmly at her. Jane looked around the room. "I guess there is no news yet?"

Steve shook his head. "Not yet. They said it was a complicated operation. It's going to take time."

"But her physician is most highly regarded," Thor noted, "and Natasha Romanoff is strong in will and body. I believe her able to fight this last battle valiantly and arise victorious."

"We all believe that, Thor," agreed Tony. He hated being this helpless, but another issue was slowly eating away at him. "Jane, have you been back to the Tower at all? You know, since this all started."

Jane turned in her seat to address him. "I tried to get back in about an hour or so after Thor left, but the whole building was locked down. I couldn't get in."

Tony's stomach turned over nervously. His feeling of ominous dread grew. "You didn't happen to see Pepper around anywhere, did you?"

"No." Jane's eyes went a little wider. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"I've just been having trouble getting in contact with her," admitted Tony. He pulled out his phone. "I'll try again." A nurse walked by and gave him a dirty look, and inclined her head at the large sign on the wall instructing people not to use their cell phones in the waiting room. Tony grimaced, torn.

"Go outside and use your phone," Clint instructed him quietly. It was the first time he'd spoken in awhile. "You need to make sure Pepper is alright."

There was nothing more Tony wanted to do right then, but he still hesitated out of loyalty.

Clint held his gaze steadily. "We'll come and find you if there's news," he reassured him, voice low.

Tony sent him a grateful look. "I'll only be a minute." He turned around and hurried off down the corridor and away from the waiting room. Tony dialled Pepper's number yet again, anxiously waiting for her to pick up. As he walked along, Tony saw a stray Almond Joy bar on the ground. Jane must have dropped it as she walked back with her armful of candy bars for Bruce. Tony distractedly bent down and picked it up, shoving it into his back pocket. The sound of the call being answered sent a huge flood of relief through Tony's body. "Pep," he said eagerly, "finally. I was starting to worry."

"It's me, boss."

An icy hand of fear grabbed at Tony's heart. His pace slowed as he walked around the corner and came face to face with a dirty and battered looking Happy. That niggling fear which had been in the back of his head all day consumed Tony totally in that moment, as Happy lowered the phone from his ear and made a regretful face.

"Don't panic," he instructed Tony.

All the blood drained from Tony's face. "Where is she?" he rasped.

"She's on the next floor up, in her room. She's just come out of surgery and the doctors say she's going to be fine but-"

Tony couldn't hear anymore and not be getting to Pepper. He started to run, pushing past Happy and looking for the stairs which would take him to the next floor. Tony could hear Happy running behind him but didn't stop. The blood roared in his ears as fresh panic flooded his body. There was only one thought in his head. Pepper, Pepper, Pepper. He had to get to Pepper. He'd known this. He'd known something was wrong all day but let himself believe everything was okay. Knowing Pepper was safe was the only way Tony had ever been able to function and he'd ignored his gut.

"Tony, stop!" Happy ordered him from behind.

Tony had found the door to the internal staircase and ripped it open, rushing up the stairs and didn't even bother to respond to Happy's desperate command. He took the stairs two and three at a time, unable to think beyond getting to Pepper.

"Tony, stop!" Happy yelled at him again. "You have to calm down!"

Tony did respond to that. He turned and shouted back over his shoulder at Happy. "Calm down! Pepper's been in surgery and you didn't call me! You're lucky I'm not pounding you into a bloody pulp!" Tony was filled with an impotent rage, mainly at himself for not listening to his instincts, but Happy was putting himself in the firing line. He couldn't waste time anymore time. Tony turned back around and started up the stairs again. He was at the first landing of the stairs when he was suddenly floored by Happy throwing himself at him. Tony hit the ground face first, with Happy on his back, pinning him down. "Get off me!" he managed to grunt.

"Not until you calm down!"

A white hot rage shot through him. "I need to get to Pepper!" he yelled. "She needs me! Get off me!" Tony struggled but Happy was a much bigger man than him and he was just a dead weight on top of Tony.

"Pepper does need you, but she doesn't need crazy you!" retorted Happy forcefully, breathing hard. "You're going to calm the hell down or I'm not letting you within a hundred feet of her! She's been through enough, she doesn't need you out of control and making things worse."

Tony gave up struggling as Happy's words sunk in. The fight went out of Tony as he pictured a helpless Pepper. "Get off me," he said shakily, more quietly this time.

"Are you going to behave yourself?"

"Yes."

Happy rolled off him and sat with his back against the wall, still breathing heavily and eyeing Tony warily. Tony stood up and looked around, still a mess of emotions. He knew Happy was right, but he still needed to vent. Swinging around Tony punched and kicked at the wall, anger and fear making him lash out as he swung around and kicked out at the railing repeatedly. Tony bent over, breathing hard as he gripped the railing and hung his head.

"Are you done?" asked Happy calmly.

Tony squeezed his eyes close, giving voice to the terrifying reality he'd refused to give thought to until now. "Pepper was inside the Tower the whole time, wasn't she?"

Happy's reply was quiet. "Yes."

The confirmation cut through Tony like a knife. The horrifying reality was that he'd almost killed Pepper by his own hand and then God only knows what happened next. Whatever it was ended her up on the operating table. "Tell me everything," he ordered Happy raggedly.

"Hammer turned up at the Tower, he thought he had control of the whole thing. He made Pepper choose between telling you she was in the Tower or you getting the Avengers back from under the control of the nano-bots."

Tony's knuckles whitened as he gripped the metal railing so tightly all the blood left his hands. He wanted Hammer dead, he wanted him screaming and in pain and dead. "She chose me," he rasped.

"Pepper is always going to choose you, Tony."

A muscle in Tony's jaw ticked wildly as he tried to control himself. "She made the wrong call."

"Pepper doesn't think so and neither do I."

"What happened?" Tony croaked. "What happened next?" He turned to look at Happy, his eyes full of rage. "Did Hammer hurt her?" Tony didn't know how he got those words out without screaming.

Happy shook his head. "Pepper took charge. She made Hammer go with her to the arc reactor to shut it down. Lewis and I were in the garage and we got to the reactor first but your suit got in the way."

Tony frowned, suddenly realising what he meant. "My contaminated Mach VII?"

"Yeah, the nano-bots had it on shoot to kill. It took down Lewis and me."

Tony's eyes went wide. "And Pepper?" Oh God, the thought of one of his own creations hurting Pepper, it was unbearable.

"No," said Happy quickly. "Pepper went back and got into your hamster ball thingy. She came back and kicked its ass. The suit ended up in the arc reactor in a million pieces."

Tony's shoulders sagged in relief. "So, what happened? How did Pepper get hurt?" He knew that safety pod should have kept her safe, that was the whole point of the design. Where had he gone wrong? How had he failed Pepper in keeping her safe? It was an agonising wait for the answers from Happy.

"I wasn't conscious, but Lewis told me Hammer had gotten control of the nano-bots. They were all these silver tendril things and they were everywhere. They attacked the hamster ball with Pepper in it-"

"And they got through?" interrupted Tony in horror.

"No, Pepper was safe and then something happened and the nano-bots turned on Hammer and he fell off the walkway where he and Pepper were standing into the arc reactor."

Tony's lips thinned. "Hammer's dead?"

"Hammer is mincemeat," confirmed Happy. "Pepper then got out of the ball and pushed it into the arc reactor and that was what blew it up ultimately."

Tony's throat constricted. "And she was hurt in the explosion?"

Happy's face sobered. "She fell, boss. Pepper fell from the walkway and ended up impaled on a metal rod. By the time I came to, Lewis had already called the ambulance."

Tony's knees had gone weak and he crouched down, finding it hard to breathe as he still clung to the railing. "You should have told me," he said angrily through numb lips.

"I know," said Happy softly, "but Pepper made me promise not to. She knew you needed to focus on what was happening with the Avengers."

It hurt to hear those words and Tony shook his head, trying to ward them off.

"I stayed with her the whole time, right up until they took her to surgery," Happy reassured him as best he could. "I was there when she came out. The doctors are saying Pepper is going to be fine."

Tony stared at him, seeing something. "You're not telling me everything." He was scared to hear more, but more scared not to.

Happy made a regretful face. "There was more internal injury then they initially thought. When they went in to stop the bleeding, the surgeon ended up having to remove one of Pepper's ovaries."

Tony looked away, consumed with guilt and self-loathing. He'd caused permanent physical harm to Pepper, it was his greatest fear other than losing her completely. "Does-does she know?" he rasped.

Happy's face was drawn. "Yes."

Tony blinked back tears and blew out a shaky breath. "I did this to her."

"You know that isn't true, Tony."

Tony looked at him, angry again. "Isn't it? None of this would have happened to her if I wasn't in Pepper's life."

Happy shook his head at him. "Don't do that, don't play the 'what if' game, boss. There is no point."

Tony slowly straightened up and let go of the railing finally. He felt like he'd just taken the mother of all beatings. Tony was in agony from the inside out.

"Pepper wanted me to find you," said Happy, his voice low. "We didn't know you were in the hospital." He paused and frowned. "Why are you here?"

"Natasha," said Tony, staring at the ground in front of him. "She's in surgery."

Happy made a little gasp of surprise. "Is she going to be alright?"

"We don't know," said Tony truthfully. "We're all waiting for news." He looked over at Happy. "I have to be with Pepper."

"I'll wait with the others," offered up Happy quickly. "I'll let you know what is happening with Natasha." He stood up. "Go and be with Pepper, Tony, she needs you."

Tony nodded slowly. "What room is she in?"

"312."

Tony nodded again, feeling numb all over.

Happy walked over and patted him on the back reassuringly. "Everything is going to be alright, boss. Just go and be with her." With that, Happy walked back down the stairs, heading back to the other Avengers.

Tony walked the rest of the way up the stairs, suddenly scared of seeing Pepper now. He didn't know what he was going to do or say, there were too many emotions. All Tony knew was that he didn't want to upset Pepper. He wanted to get this right. Tony found Pepper's room and walked inside unchallenged by any of the night staff quietly scurrying around busily. He hated hospitals, but hospitals at night seemed especially unnerving. Pepper was neatly tucked into her bed, face turned away from the door. Tony moved forward carefully, not wanting to wake her if she was sleeping. He just needed to be near her and see for himself that she was alright. He walked up to the bed just as Pepper turned her head.

She looked up at him and her pale features registered relief and delight. "Tony," she whispered, "you're alright." She blinked back tears. "Thank God. I was so worried."

"Pepper." His voice cracked over her name. She was worrying about him through all of this? He wasn't the one lying in a hospital bed. Tony had a million things he needed to say to her but he couldn't find the words. "Pepper," he repeated hoarsely.

"It's okay, I'm okay," she tried to reassure him. "Don't be upset." Pepper reached out a hand and grabbed his, squeezing it tightly. "I'm alright, Tony, truly."

Tony wrapped both of his hands around Pepper's and hugged it to his chest. The same chest which was constricted with painful emotion. He sat down on the bed, still holding tight to her hand.

She smiled lovingly at him, obviously seeing he was overwhelmed. "It's okay," she repeated softly. "Everything is going to be okay."

Tony wanted to believe that but right then, he didn't know how. He bent down and buried his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent and luxuriating in the softness of her skin. Tony had almost lost everything today and the realisation had him paralysed. "Pepper," he said raggedly, "Pepper."


	70. Chapter 70

**A/N****: And another chapter – 4 in 4 days, that's not too shabby, now is it? :D Had a couple of days off and see what I can get done. ;) **

**And the Pepperony angst continues in this chapter... and we're not quite done after this either mind you. The next chapter we'll be going back to check on Natasha, so expect some more angst there, people. **

**Thank you yet again to everyone's kind reviews for this story. I'm finding I can't get to answer them all, which bums me out no end, but I still do appreciate all of you lovely people for taking the time to leave me your thoughts on this story. One of my reviewers mentioned that the IM series is just meant to be a trilogy which I'd heard also, so whether or not GP comes back is a moot point I guess, but I'm greedy, I want her to pop up in the Avengers 2 movie. Is that too much to ask? LOL I hope not. And who knows if there still might be an IM4... they make a ridiculous amount of money and people might be tempted to have one more crack at the honey pot... particularly if RDJ continues to get better looking as he gets older... damn his potent sexuality. LOL We'll see I guess. I do know TPTB must be salivating at the thought of the next round of Marvel movies and IM is undoubtedly the most popular and profitable of them all (except for Avengers now). Fingers crossed that IM3 isn't going to be our last chance to see some Pepperony magic. :D **

**Okay, after all that blithering on, here is the next chapter. I have mixed feelings about it. Some things I'm happy about, others I'm not. I'll let you make up your own mind...**

**Chapter Seventy **

"Tony?"

He was still nestled into the crook of Pepper's neck, never wanting to move again. "Yes?"

"I love you, so much." Pepper hesitated. "But you smell really bad."

Tony immediately lifted his head and pulled back a little. "Sorry."

Pepper wrinkled her nose. "What is that smell? It's like rotten eggs or something."

"It's sulphur."

"Sulphur?"

Pepper was looking at him with concern and Tony didn't want that. "It's nothing," he brushed it off.

"Tony."

"I just got a little up close and personal with some magma," he said casually. "It's no big deal."

Pepper didn't look appeased. "Are you sure you're alright?" Her frown deepened. "Wait a minute. Happy only went to go and get you a few minutes ago. How could you get here so quickly?"

"I was already here," Tony admitted.

She made a distressed sound. "You said you weren't hurt."

"I'm not," he said hastily. "We're all here for Natasha."

"Natasha?"

"She has a brain tumour. They're operating on her now."

"Oh no," Pepper gasped in horror. "Tony, that's horrible. You have to go and wait with the others."

"I'm not leaving you," said Tony determinedly. "Ever again. You are never leaving my sight again for the rest of our lives."

Pepper half-smiled. "That's not very practical, Tony. I mean, how's that going to work when you go out on missions with the Avengers?"

Tony moved his shoulders a little. It was clear to him what he had to do now. The last time Pepper had been hurt by Hammer, Tony had been foolish enough to think he could walk away from her. It had taken Happy to point out to him that wasn't an option. Tony didn't need Happy this time round. He knew Pepper was the one thing he couldn't live without. That meant there was only one other option. "I've been thinking I'm kinda done there."

Pepper's eyes went wide. "What?"

Tony looked down at her hand which he was still holding and absently rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "Yeah, you know me, Pep, I get bored easily. This whole Iron Man thing has gotten old. I need a new challenge." Tony chanced a glance at Pepper who was frowning now. He continued on with feigned casualness. "I've been thinking about going into the amusement park business for awhile now. Imagine that, Stark World. It'll crap all over Disneyland." Tony smiled brightly. "That can be our motto, Stark World, we crap all over Disneyland. I can see it already."

"Tony, you're not giving up the Avengers or being Iron Man," said Pepper firmly.

Tony kept his smile on his face. "I told you, Pepper, I'm bored with the whole superhero thing. I'm looking to do something different." He kissed her hand. "But we'll talk about all this tomorrow. You look exhausted and need to get some rest. Can I get you anything? Do you need something? Are you in pain?"

"Tony."

"Honestly, Pepper, we can save all the talking for another day. All I want to do now is make sure you're on the mend."

Pepper was looking at him closely. "I don't think I'm the one you should be worrying about. What has Happy told you?"

Tony stared at her, unable to hold his smile any longer. "Everything. Hammer, the Mach VII, the-the operation." He stumbled over the last bit. Tony's face crumbled in pain. "Pepper, I'm so sorry that this has happened to you."

Pepper put a brave smile on her face, even though it wobbled a bit. "I know, but sometimes these things just happen and it's not like losing an ovary means I can never get pregnant. It just means I've halved my chances." She gave a strained little laugh. "It's so crazy," said Pepper, her voice getting shaky. "Babies were the last thing on my mind before today. Then you came in and accused me of getting pregnant with another man's baby-"

Tony made a regretful face. "Again, I'm really sorry about that, Pep. I kind of went insane."

She gave him a tired, but indulgent look. "I know, I was there. My point is, with everything going on in our lives with the Avengers and me with the business, I really wasn't thinking about babies. We're still finding our way as a couple-"

Tony kissed the back of her hand again. "An amazing couple," he interrupted again, "and I do know that's mainly down to you, in case I don't say that often enough."

"We contribute equally to this relationship, Tony," she corrected him softly. Pepper half-smiled. "It's just that sometimes one of us is more equal than the other. It's how all good relationships work." She looked up at him in the low light. "You know, we've never even discussed babies before today. I knew children were something that were never going to be your highest priority and I don't know if I've ever really dealt with that before now. When a doctor comes in and tells you that you've halved your fertility chances, it just makes you stop and think about what it is you really want." Pepper looked up at him with serious eyes. Her voice was low and talking was obvious an effort, but she seemed determined to say what she needed to say. "I know you want me to be happy, Tony, and I know, if I said I wanted to have a baby, you'd probably go along with the idea, but I want you to know, I'd never do that to you or to an innocent child. Babies should be brought into this world by two people who want them more than anything else. I know that often doesn't happen these days, but it's still how things should be. Maybe this accident is a sign, an answer to a question I hadn't been brave enough to ask yet."

Tony looked at her with concern. "What are you saying?"

Pepper spoke with quiet sadness. "I'm saying that I don't think a child between us would be a good idea, and maybe this is the universe's way of signing off on that."

Tony sat back and looked at her with shock. Like Pepper, he hadn't given any thought to them having children before the last couple of days but her talking this way upset him in a way he hadn't expected. "Are you crazy?" he gasped.

Pepper's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

Tony couldn't help himself. "A baby between us, can you imagine how amazing that kid would be? It'd be a crime to rob the world of that kind of awesomeness."

Pepper was looking at him like he'd gone crazy. "Just this morning the thought of me being pregnant had you becoming mentally unhinged," she reminded him. "You were like a wolf trying to gnaw his own foot off to get out of a trap."

"No, I wasn't," said Tony indignantly. "I may have had a moment or two of quiet reflection on the matter-"

Pepper arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

"Alright," he relented, "maybe that quiet reflection lasted longer than a moment or two and involved me temporarily losing control of my bodily functions, but the point is, what I'm trying to say here is-" Tony hesitated, a little overcome with how emotional he was feeling about the subject.

Pepper put her hand on his leg. "It's alright, Tony, you're off the hook. I told you, I don't want to have a baby. You don't have to tip toe around the subject. I'm fine about my decision."

"Well, I'm not," said Tony emotionally.

"I saw the look of relief on your face when I told you I wasn't pregnant, Tony."

"The relief was from knowing you weren't pregnant with Lewis' baby," said Tony quickly. "Again, really, really sorry about that mix up."

Pepper was looking upset. "You can't sit there and look me in the eye and tell me you wanted a baby, Tony. I know you, that wasn't something you were planning on having in your life."

Tony did as she asked and looked Pepper squarely in the eye. "Alright, I hadn't thought about it before then, I'll admit. I'll also admit that it took me a moment to get some traction on the idea."

"Your version of traction involved punching an innocent man," Pepper said in exasperation. "You were really scared at the thought of having a baby, just admit it."

"Of course I was scared," said Tony without hesitation. "I don't know how anyone couldn't be terrified of being responsible for another human being so completely." He paused and tried to sort through his emotions. "But when you told me you weren't pregnant, after the shock wore off over the whole thing and I got you to forgive me, I don't know, I guess I had this moment of loss."

"Loss?" she repeated softly. "Tony, there was no baby."

He gave her an uneven smile. "I know, but in my head there was and in between the moments of unbridled panic, I got to imagining what our baby would be like." He gave her a teasing look. "My looks, obviously because-" he pointed to his face, "hey, you know." Pepper actually smiled at that, which made Tony ridiculously happy. "And your brains, for reasons even more obvious." He leaned in and stroked her face. "It'd be a killer combination."

Pepper looked sad again. "Tony, you don't have to say all this. I-I just don't think I was meant to be a mother."

"Pepper," said Tony in disbelief, "if there was anyone in this world who was meant to be a mother, it's you. Your mothering abilities are the sole reason I'm still alive." He wrinkled his nose. "You're calm in a crisis, endlessly patient, you can deal with temper tantrums and think on your feet." Tony looked at her lovingly. "And you make people feel like safe and loved. Just what part of that doesn't sound like a natural mother to you?"

Pepper looked truly moved by his words, but she remained unconvinced. "Tony, this has been a big, emotional day," she said weakly. "You're going to wake up tomorrow and want to take all of this baby talk back. I know you. Babies aren't something that is going to fit into your world."

Tony closed his eyes as Pepper's words impacted on him, but not the way she was no doubt intending. He opened his eyes again and spoke from his heart. "Okay, here is the bottom line, Pepper, this is how it really is. When I thought you were pregnant with our baby I freaked out, totally. There were a lot of reasons but the biggest was that I didn't want things to change between us." Tony gave a dry, humourless laugh. "How's this for ironic? I'm a futurist. I make my living out of predicting change and making it happen. I boldly go into frontiers that don't even exist yet. My whole mission in life is to challenge and change the world around me. I look at the things in this world and see endless possibilities and I'm filled with ideas and drive to do the impossible. That's the Tony Stark who goes out into the world every day." His face clouded over. "But when it comes to the private man, everything is different. There is a reason why there has only been you, Happy and Rhodey in my life for the longest time. I don't like change. I want things around me to stay the same."

"I know," said Pepper softly. "You need something to hold onto while you reach for the stars. I've always known that."

Tony looked at her in surprise. "I only worked that out just now."

Pepper gave a smile. "For a genius you've always been quite dim, Tony Stark. Just as well you're so cute otherwise I don't know if I'd have hung around so long."

Tony knew she was only teasing him but it floored him how well she understood him when he barely understood himself. "I was scared a baby was going to change the dynamics between us, Pep. The only reason I am who I am is because we are who we are. I don't ever want to lose that and I know that makes me ridiculously selfish-"

"It makes you ridiculously human, Tony," she interrupted him gently. "And I happen to love that about you."

Tony's heart swelled to hear that. "My point is, I was wrong to think like that. I'm a guy who doesn't deal with the concepts of limits in my professional life, and yet in my private life, I'm closed down. I don't want to be like that. If I hadn't have let you into my life twelve years ago, I would have missed out on the best thing that ever happened to me."

Pepper put her hand on his chest and rubbed it. "Tony," she said softly.

"I want it all with you, Pepper," said Tony earnestly. "I want to wake up with you in my bed every day for the rest of our lives, I want us to get married and have kids and just do it all. I want every bit of life and love I can squeeze out of every day we have together until we're old and grey. I don't want to miss out on a single thing when it comes to you. All the loving, all the fights, all the laughter and tears. I'm greedy when it comes to you, Pepper, I want it all."

Pepper was openly crying now. "Oh, Tony," she breathed and then gave a watery smile. "Your eye didn't twitch when you said the M-word."

Tony realised she was right. He gave his own wobbly smile. "Hey, look at that. I accidentally grew up a little without realising it." Tony reached out a hand and brushed a pale red lock from Pepper's forehead. "Just please don't tell me babies are off the table, Pepper."

Pepper's chin shook a little. "It may not be so easy now, Tony."

"Hey," said Tony huskily, "since when have either one of us been about easy? Just tell me you're not ready to write me off as the father of your children just yet and we'll face everything else together."

"Oh, Tony," she said around a choked laugh, "I can't believe we're having this conversation." She blinked away fresh tears. "This is so crazy, neither one of us are ready for a baby."

"I'm not saying we have to start trying right away," said Tony intently, "I'm just saying that if I'm going to have children, I want you to be their mother and if you are going to have children, I'm sure as hell going to be their father." He pulled a face. "My heart couldn't take another you having another man's baby. I aged twenty years in the eight minutes I thought you and Lewis-" Tony couldn't even complete that sentence. He grimaced. "I mentioned I was really sorry about that, right?"

"I think I remember something in passing," said Pepper wryly. "Alright, Mr. Stark, I'll do you a deal. I'll only have your babies-"

"Yes!" said Tony triumphantly.

"If you give up this ridiculous talk about quitting Iron Man and the Avengers."

Tony's face fell. "But me being Iron Man is putting your life at risk every minute of the day. I can't keep on doing something I know is going to get you killed, Pepper. I won't."

Pepper rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're so dramatic. I'm the head of a multi-national company, I've made my own enemies. There are no certainties in this life and whether you're Iron Man or not, one day I'm going to die."

Tony's face tightened. "Don't say that."

"You know it's true," said Pepper stubbornly. "We've all got a limited time on this earth. The important thing isn't how we die though, it's how we live. Tony, you've taken a lot from this life, but Iron Man is a way to give back and you need that."

"I need you more," Tony rasped. "Pepper, I've made my choice."

"No, you haven't." She sighed and suddenly looked very tired again. "Tony, there is this huge part of me that wants you to do what you're saying, to give up Iron Man and stop risking your life every five minutes."

"Then I'm going to do it," said Tony quickly. "End of discussion."

"But there is this even bigger part of me who knows that Iron Man is as necessary to Tony Stark as I am," she continued on determinedly. "Tony, people talk about making a real difference in this life but most don't have the resources and strength to do anything about it. You do and I don't want you to throw that all away. The world needs Iron Man and I'm not going to be the one who takes him away from them."

"Well, Tony Stark needs you and he isn't going to do anything to risk losing you," insisted Tony stubbornly.

"They're not mutually exclusive," Pepper reminded him. "And besides, Iron Man or not, Tony Stark is always going to have enemies. Don't you think having Iron Man in your back pocket is the best way to protect me?"

Tony's brow wrinkled, finding Pepper's logic hard to argue against.

Pepper stroked his face. "You know I'm right."

Tony's frown deepened. "I don't like this," he grumbled. "I need to do something."

"Then kiss me," Pepper said softly.

Tony covered her hand with his. "You really scared me today," he whispered brokenly.

"I know," she said regretfully. "I'm sorry."

Tony shook his head, knowing he was the one who was sorry. He bent down and captured her lips in a soft kiss, revelling in Pepper's sweet taste once again. "Don't ever leave me," he begged her, lips moving against hers.

"I wouldn't know how," she promised him before returning his kisses.

The gentle touch of Pepper's lips were cathartic to Tony, but deep down something still churned away inside of him but Tony didn't want to deal with that emotion right then. He just wanted to be near Pepper and not let her out of his sight.

"You still smell so bad," she whispered against his lips.

Tony broke the kiss and drew back, a contrite expression on his face.

Pepper reached up and took a hold of the front of his t-shirt, a little smile on her lips. "I didn't say stop."

"You should be resting," Tony protested but he let Pepper pull him back down anyway.

"I know," she sighed against his lips. Pepper sounded exhausted.

Tony rubbed his nose against hers. "Close your eyes, sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up."

Pepper's eyes drooped close. "Promise?"

"Promise," he said huskily. Tony kissed her forehead and sat up straighter, watching Pepper as she drifted off to sleep, the pain medication finally taking its toll. Tony didn't let go of her hand as he watched her sleep, lost in his thoughts about how close he'd come to losing everything today. The thought was like a lead weight, pushing him down and Tony hung on tightly to Pepper's hand, determined never to let her go again.


	71. Chapter 71

**A/N****: Yes, I'm still here, writing this story... barely. **

**Man, I really hit the wall on these next chapters. I tell you, the muse had left the country and wasn't coming back. I haven't struggled so hard with a chapter since I don't know when. My heart just wasn't in it. As it stands, I'm pretty unhappy with this and the next chapter (ended up splitting them) but I just have to let it go and move on. **

**No NaCl in this chapter, it got split into the next, sorry. The upside is that you will be getting an update tomorrow though, so that's something, for what it's worth. I think my phoot-phoot valve broke after writing all those chapters at once and getting through the showdown, I was just spent. Here's hoping the muse comes back for these last few chapters, because it'd be a real bum if I hated writing them as much as I did these two chapter. . **

**Ah well, as with everything, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. **

**And on a side note, are there any Grimm fans out there? I'm thinking of doing a Grimm story around Nick and Munroe (non-slash, just think they have great chemistry) and Captain Renard and Juliette (I'm a sucker for dark, twisty men and forbidden love stories ;) ). I was just pondering another creative challenge. :D **

**Anyways, let's get this chapter over and done with and we can never speak of it again, okay? :)**

**Chapter Seventy-One **

Tony walked down the halls of the darkened hospital, looking for a bathroom. A nurse had come in to check on Pepper's vitals as she slept and side eyed him while making a passing comment about how he smelt. It wasn't a good one. She'd suggested he find a way to smell less like, in her words, a butt, before Pepper woke up. Tony hadn't wanted to leave Pepper, but the nurse had assured him she wasn't waking up for at least another six or eight hours, minimum. So, he'd reluctantly left Pepper, looking to use a bathroom to clean up a little. There was still no word about Natasha and Tony knew that Happy would be telling him right away if there was. All this worrying was giving him a headache. Tony passed by a partially open door to another room on the floor above Pepper's, still hunting for a bathroom. He stopped and back tracked when he recognised one of the people inside.

Lewis was sitting on a bed, doing up his shirt one-handed while another man fussed around him. The other man, who Tony assumed was Greg, his partner, was a good looking man with neatly cut dark brown hair and fashionable glasses. Tony hung back and watched them unobserved for a moment.

"Thank heavens I can take you home at last," said Greg as he brushed at Lewis' completely ruined shirt. "How long does it take to do tests and set a broken arm anyway?"

Lewis half-smiled. "About eight hours, it seems."

"I'm just glad it was only your arm that was broken," sighed Greg, looking relieved. "And that I can take you home now. I'll go and get you a wheelchair."

Lewis shook his head. "I've only broken my arm. I can walk out of here."

"No, you can't," said Greg hastily and then looked a little shifty.

Lewis eyed him suspiciously. "What's going on?"

Greg opened his eyes wide. "Nothing."

"And by nothing you mean-?" Lewis let his question hang between them.

Greg pouted. "It's just that Derek and Sunny are waiting for us. They insisted on picking us up. I got a taxi over, I was in no state to drive when I got the news."

"That was nice of them considering it's the middle of the night now, but what's that got to do with me needing a wheelchair all of a sudden?"

Greg looked away. "I may or may not have told them you got shot today." He looked back at Lewis and smiled sweetly.

Lewis arched an eyebrow. "Which is it, may or may not?"

"May," admitted Greg guiltily.

Lewis looked confused. "Why on earth would you tell them I got shot, when I didn't?" he asked in exasperation.

"If you've been shot then we don't have to go to their god awful pre-Thanksgiving talent show party," said Greg quickly. "God, that thing, every year. It's where dignity and good taste goes to die. I can't watch one more interpretive dance about the colonisation of the Americas at the expense of the Native Americans." Greg held up a hand hastily. "Which was awful, don't get me wrong, but watching Sunny dance around in unforgiving spandex as the ghost of regret isn't going to right any wrongs." He wrinkled his face in displeasure. "Just start up a whole new batch that starts but unfortunately doesn't end with his Tofurkey canapés."

Lewis' lips twitched. "Are you done?"

"I'm not a fan of the maple-flavoured tequila shots either," he volunteered.

"So, because of your aversion to spandex, amateur theatrics and experimental cooking, I'm shot now, is that it?" asked Lewis wryly. "You want me to lie?"

"It's not lying," said Greg firmly. "It's reimagining. There's a difference."

"Reimagining?"

"Yes, it's like when you gave me that watch for my birthday."

"You said loved that watch," Lewis protested.

"That's because I was reimagining it as the Rolex that you're going to get me for Christmas."

"But that watch actually cost more than the Rolex you were interested in and had a lot more features," Lewis pointed out in disbelief. "It's a way better watch."

Greg rubbed his shoulder lovingly. "Oh, honey, honey, honey," he said sympathetically. "I love that you put that much thought into my gift, I really do, but you know me, I'm all about the label."

Lewis looked at him askew. "So, you'd rather have an inferior watch with a label, then a more expensive, superior watch without the well known brand label?"

Greg didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"That's insane and makes no kind of sense," Lewis argued.

"I'm a label puppy, you know this about me." Greg smiled sweetly at him. "So, are we good about the getting shot story?"

Lewis sighed heavily and shook his head as Greg gave him a wide-eyed, pleading look. "Where was I shot?" he asked with resigned indulgence.

Greg beamed and clapped his hands together. "Your right hip. The doctors were able to take out the bullet but there are a few bits of bone which make moving around really hard for you."

"So hard I can't make it to Sunny's pre-Thanksgiving show," observed Lewis dryly, "but then I'm guessing I'm going to come good just before Christmas when we head to Aspen for that ski weekend."

Greg patted his arm and nodded, smiling. "It'll be our very own Christmas miracle."

Tony couldn't help but smile as he watched their exchange. They were kind of cute together. He gave a light tap on the door.

Lewis slid off the bed and stood up when he saw Tony standing there. "Tony," he said quickly, "is everything alright? Is Pepper-?"

"She's sleeping," said Tony as he walked into the room.

"Happy told me the surgery went well." Lewis' face clouded over. "I'm sorry. That should never have happened to Pepper. I should have been able to protect her."

Tony shook his head, knowing how the other man felt. "You did everything humanly possible." He paused and looked him in the eye. "I appreciate everything you tried to do for Pepper, Lewis," Tony said quietly. "I'm just glad you, Happy and Pepper are all going to be alright." He gave a vaguely amused look at Greg. "Sans the unfortunate shooting incident, of course."

"It isn't a lie," said Greg hastily.

"I know, it's a reimagining," said Tony wryly. "I heard. Don't worry, I'm a big fan of making your own reality and inserting it into other's." He held out his hand. "Tony Stark. You must be Greg."

Greg shook his hand enthusiastically. "I'm thrilled to meet you, Mr. Stark."

"Tony."

Greg hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"He punched me in the face this morning," observed Lewis dryly. "So yeah, Tony is fine."

Greg looked confused. "Why did you punch him in the face?"

Tony pulled a face. "I kind of thought he'd gotten Pepper pregnant," he admitted. "An argument can be made that I get a little over-emotional when it comes to Pepper."

"That's one word for it," agreed Lewis readily.

Greg looked miff. "Why do I have to sit through you talking endlessly about the Yankees and their little flags-"

"Pennants," Lewis corrected him.

Greg waved a hand at him. "Whatever. Meanwhile you're holding out on the really juicy things that happen at work." He gave Lewis a disapproving look. "What's that about?"

"Aren't you outraged on my behalf?" Lewis said in vague amusement. "I was assaulted."

Greg was unapologetic. "Honey, if I didn't think you could take a punch to the face, I'd never have introduced you to my grandmother."

"Mee Moo does pack a punch," agreed Lewis thoughtfully.

"It was my mistake," volunteered Tony. "And congratulations on the impending parenthood, by the way."

Greg smiled at Lewis lovingly. "Thanks, we're so excited."

Tony felt a pang thinking about his conversation with Pepper. "I know, you should be, it's an exciting thing." He looked away abruptly.

Greg seemed to know what he was thinking. "And Happy told us Pepper is going to be fine. You'll be able to have your own little bundle of joy on that front one day."

Lewis sent him a warning look. "Greg."

Greg spread his fingers and looked innocent. "What? Just imagine how cute a baby between them would be."

"Babies aren't really Tony's thing."

"They could be," interjected Tony. "I want them to be."

Lewis was looking at him in disbelief. "You do?"

"Yes," said Tony a little defensively. "Why do you have to say it like that?"

"Because, this morning you weren't handling the thought of impending fatherhood too well."

Tony shrugged. "Maybe I just needed to grow into the idea."

Lewis still looked sceptical. "And you found time to emotionally grow as a person in amongst all the chaos of today?"

Tony held up a hand. "Trust me, no one is more surprised by that then me."

Greg slapped Lewis' arm. "Leave him alone, he's had a rough day. His beautiful girl almost-"

"Can you please not complete that sentence," interrupted Tony unevenly, his stomach clenching up at just talking about it.

Greg made a sympathetic noise of contrition. "Oh, poor you, of course." He threw his arms around Tony. "Someone needs a cuddle."

Tony was a bit surprised by the action, but just rolled with it as Greg hugged him tightly.

"Greg, stop fondling my boss," Lewis instructed him in exasperation. "You just met the guy."

Greg didn't let go of Tony but drew back another to shoot an answer over his shoulder at Lewis. "It's an angst cuddle," he said defensively. "You wouldn't understand because you're never the one left standing there making yourself sick over whether the person you love the most in the world is going to live or die." He looked back at Tony. "I understand your pain, honey. We have to stick together." Greg's warm smile became a little shaky. "But before we stick together again, do you think you could maybe have a bath? You smell like you just shot out of Satan's ass."

Tony stepped back and grimaced. "Sorry, it's the sulphur." He ran his hand threw his hair. "I was looking for somewhere to try and maybe wash down a bit."

"You'll need more than water to wash that stink off," declared Greg decisively. "You need my crisis kit."

"You brought that thing?" asked Lewis in disbelief.

"Baby, I didn't know if you were going to be released tonight and you know I like to be prepared for any kind of emergency." Greg reached behind the bed and picked up a large Gucci bag.

"Gucci?" Tony commented as Greg delved into it, arm disappearing almost up to the elbow.

Behind Greg, Lewis mouthed his response along with his partners. "Just because there is a crisis, doesn't mean you can't be stylish," he declared.

Tony shrugged. "I guess not."

Greg was pulling out multiple brightly coloured bottles. "Okay, so I have three kinds of shampoo and conditioner, depending on your hair type, a facial exfoliate, an all body exfoliate, two kinds of facial masks, hair gel, hair mousse, hair wax, razor, deodorant, manicure set, nose hair trimmer, beard trimmer-"

"Tony just needs to stop smelling like a butt," Lewis interrupted him. "He's not getting ready for prom."

Greg rolled his eyes at Tony. "He's so low maintenance. It drives me crazy."

"I think Pepper has the opposite problem with me," admitted Tony ruefully.

"So Pepper is your Lewis and that makes me the Tony Stark in our relationship," said Greg in delight.

"Oh dear God," said Lewis in distress. "Did you really need to put that image in my head? Our relationships are nothing alike."

Tony smiled. "I think Pepper and I could end up worse than being like you two."

Greg made a delighted gasp and threw his arms around Tony again. "Ohh, can I keep him?"

"No," said Lewis without hesitation.

"But he's soo adorable," cooed Greg, snuggling in closer. He wrinkled his nose and pulled back. "But still stinky, very, very stinky."

"There is a bathroom in this room." Lewis pointed at the nondescript door. "Knock yourself out. The least I can do for Pepper is make sure you don't smell like sewage when she sees you again."

Tony smiled at them both. "Thanks."

"And we'll come by in the morning to check in on Pepper," said Greg. "I love that girl, so much."

Tony gave a crooked smile. "So do I."

"She's going to be alright, Tony," said Lewis quietly. "Pepper is the strongest person I know. She's going to get through all of this, you both are."

Tony's expression clouded over. "I just never wanted anything like this to ever happen to her. It kills me to know that Pepper had to go through all this pain and suffering and still is. That should be me lying in that hospital."

"And then she'd just be going through a different kind of pain and suffering," said Greg philosophically. "Honey, you can't wrap the people you love up in cotton wool and hide them away from life. Life is dangerous and unexpected, that's what makes it so wonderfully precious."

Tony grimaced. "I suppose you're right, I just wish it didn't have to be that way."

Greg patted his back sympathetically. "You'll be fine, honey, you both will be."

Tony managed a smile and just hoped the other man was right. Finding out how close Pepper had come to death had shaken Tony to the core. This loving someone was a roller coaster ride he hadn't been prepared for. Pepper was everything to him. If he lost her, Tony couldn't even complete that thought. It scared him to think of what he might become without her. It wasn't the arc reactor stopping his heart from being invaded by cold metal, it was her. Without Pepper, he knew his heart would have become hard and useless years ago. If he wasn't fighting to keep her safe, then Tony wasn't sure what he was fighting for anymore.

It was a frightening thought.


	72. Chapter 72

**A/N****: Thanks everyone who gave me a pep talk with the muse drought. It was much appreciated. :D **

**Here is the second part of the dreaded drought chapter. I have no kind of perspective on it at all after all this, so I'll leave it up to you guys to decide again. I hope the NaCl fans find it kinda okay. **

**Thanks again for all of the support.**

**Cuddles. **

**PS. And yes, Greg will be back at some point, not sure how yet, but I'll figure something out. ;) **

**Chapter Seventy-Two **

Clint sat back in his seat and looked at the other people in the waiting room. Jane was curled up in her seat, head on Thor's chest and fast asleep. Thor was staring up at the ceiling and absently stroking her hand, lost in his own thoughts. Happy was also asleep, stretched out on one of the sofas and snoring quietly. Bruce was hunched over an old crossword puzzle he'd found in the waiting room and was filling in all of the blanks. Steve was reading a magazine. Seeing as he'd been on the same page for the last fifteen minutes though, Clint doubted that Steve was actually able to concentrate enough to do any reading. Either that, or he was the world's slowest reader. Clint glanced at the clock. Natasha had been in surgery for six hours now and every minute had felt like a life time. He knew that Natasha being at Los Alamos was her choice to make, but Clint couldn't help but feel he should have been able to prevent all of this. After all, he was the only one who'd known. Clint wrestled with feelings of guilt and regret. He wasn't going to accept that this was how things were going to end between them. They just couldn't, not after all they'd been through together. Their lives had taken so many twists and turns to bring them to this point. How could that all be for nothing?

**oooOOOOooo**

_Clint moved ever so slightly, looking down from his vantage point on the roof of the hotel, his leather suit creaking quietly. The standard issue SHIELD uniforms looked cool, but weren't as stealthy as he'd like. But then, this was his first assignment for SHIELD since Nick Fury had recruited him into the organisation, so it probably wasn't strategic to gripe about the uniforms just yet. Clint had been in position for the last two hours, waiting for his target. The hot Shanghai midday sun beat down on him, and caused sweat to run down the back of his leather vest. That was another thing about leather, the damn stuff didn't breathe. Clint didn't know who his target for assassination was going to be, and he hadn't asked any questions. It was part of the deal when you joined SHIELD that you weren't too inquisitive. Clint didn't mind that rule. He'd gotten in trouble before by being too involved, sitting on the outside looking in suited him fine these days. _

_Unbidden, his thoughts turned to his last big bout of involvement which had ended badly. Natasha Romanoff, the Russian spy who'd placed a spell on him and then disappeared from his life. Clint moved his shoulders restlessly, annoyed at himself for thinking about her again. She always did that, popped up in his head at the most inappropriate times. It had been nearly two years since he'd last seen her. She'd been a bloody mess in his arm when he'd rushed her into that hospital. Clint had no way of knowing if she was even still alive. Although Natasha had been alive enough to walk out of that same hospital three hours later and not look back. After that though, Clint had no idea what had happened to her. He told himself that he didn't care if she was alive or dead. It was a lie he'd almost convinced himself was true. For the first time in his life, Clint had let himself fall, and fall hard for a woman. All he'd gotten for his trouble was nearly killed and then abandoned. _

_Clint shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of the red-headed vixen who'd caused him such grief. He liked to have an uncluttered mind when he was working. His skill set required focus and concentration and making a mistake wasn't an option. Clint knew he had something to prove to Fury with this first assignment. The other man had made it abundantly clear that he felt like he was taking a risk on Clint. The onus was definitely on him not to screw things up. Clint didn't so much care about Fury's opinion of him, but it was a professional point of pride for him to do this job properly. Fury thought he was using him, but Clint knew it was the other way around. Being recruited into SHIELD had come at a very convenient time, when things had been getting a bit complicated with some of the jobs he'd been involved with lately. The chance to hide behind a secretive organisation and drop off the grid was too good to pass up. It was the one lesson Natasha had really taught him. If things get too complicated, just walk away. _

_Agent Coulson's voice came over his earpiece. "Agent Barton, are you in position?" _

"_Check that." _

"_Target will be moving into view in less than a minute. Front entrance of the Shangri-La Hotel." _

_Clint bent down and looked through the scope of his semi-automatic rifle. He lined the cross hairs up with the entrance to the popular hotel. People were coming and going from the building with the hustle and bustle which seemed to be associated with everything to do with this city. "Do you have specs for me with this target," he grunted, "or do I just gun down someone at random?" _

_Coulson ignored his sarcasm. "A blonde woman, white dress and shoes will be exiting the building in less than thirty seconds." _

"_A woman?" _

"_Is that problem Agent Coulson? Your target has been making a name for herself by taking out quite a few strategic field agents. She is an efficient and ruthless killer who is a threat to our national security. We need that threat neutralised."_

"_I didn't ask," said Coulson dismissively, "and no, it's not a problem that it's a woman." _

"_We have eyes on her entering the hotel foyer now," Coulson relayed to him. "Take your shot when you have clear line. Don't miss." _

"_I never miss." It wasn't boasting on Clint's behalf, it was just the truth. More hours than he could count training and honing his skills with guns and arrows had made sure of that. He caught a flash of blonde hair, obvious amongst all the crowd of people sporting black hair. Clint's finger moved to the trigger, ready to squeeze. The woman was out on the street now, waiting for a cab. Her back was to him, and Clint had her lined up in his crosshairs. His mind was one of blank calmness. "I've got her." _

"_Take the shot." _

_Clint's finger started to squeeze on the trigger, just as the woman turned around. He dragged in a surprised gasp when he saw her face for the first time. Natasha. It was definitely her, just with blonde hair. Clint would know that face anywhere. His finger instinctively moved away from the trigger. _

"_Agent Barton, take the shot." Coulson's voice was demanding action. _

_Clint couldn't take his eyes off Natasha as she smiled coolly at one of the hotel attendants and said something to them. _

"_Agent Barton, take the shot." _

_Clint moved his finger back on the trigger, but just continued to stare at Natasha. _

"_Do you have her? What's the problem?" _

_Clint knew he had to make a choice but in that moment, he knew there wasn't one for him. He watched Natasha step into the taxi which had drawn up beside her and drive off. _

_Coulson's voice was back in his ear. His tone was difficult to read. "Target is in the wind. Agent Barton, return to base." _

_Clint pulled his gun from where it was resting on the ledge of the building and sat down, resting it across his lap as he leaned back against the ledge. He blinked, mind going at a hundred miles an hour. Clint put his hand over his heart and felt the way it was pounding wildly. He hadn't expected this and now he had to think quickly to work out what to do next. _

**oooOOOOooo**

Phil Coulson shuffled down the hospital corridor, wheeling a canister of oxygen behind him. The oxygen was attached to a plastic tube which ran up to prongs feeding oxygen into his weakened lungs. The poisoned gas had impaired his breathing capacity, but the doctors had assured him it was only temporary. He rounded the corner and walked into the waiting room which was littered with most of the Avengers except for Tony and Coulson knew where he would be.

Steve greeted him first. "Phil," he said in surprise, "what are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He shuffled over to take the seat beside Clint.

"You don't look fine," commented Bruce. They were keeping their voices down as the others slept.

Thor nodded, looking concerned. "Verily, Agent Coulson, your injuries look to be most serious."

"You're just saying that because I'm wearing the backless hospital gown," he replied casually. "They make everything look serious."

"Fury didn't mention you needing to be hospitalised," said Steve worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just a bit of poisonous gas inhalation issues and I was blown up." Coulson was off-hand. "They just had to put a few stitches in my original wound. Like I said, it's nothing. They've just kept me in for observation overnight."

Clint finally spoke. "Then don't you think you should be in bed or something?"

Coulson sent him a calm look. "They can observe me from here." He looked intently at Clint. "No word yet?"

Clint's jaw hardened. "No."

Coulson studied the other man's stony profile carefully. It was obvious to Coulson Clint was frightened, and it was even more obvious that he was trying not to show it. Coulson sat carefully back in his chair, remembering another time when he'd seen that expression on Clint's face and for exactly the same reason.

**oooOOOOooo**

_Coulson clasped his hands in front of himself as he patiently waited outside Director Fury's office. He could hear the raised voices inside quite clearly, but his outward expression gave no indication about what he was making of it. _

"_I gave you direct order and you disobeyed it!" barked Fury. _

"_I think you didn't have all the facts... sir." Clint's 'sir' was belated, as though he was forcing himself to remember to at least appear deferential. _

"_Oh," snapped Fury, "is that what you thought, is it? Perhaps I wasn't clear in describing your employment expectations to you, Agent Barton? I tell you to jump, you ask how high. This isn't a democracy, everyone doesn't get a vote." _

"_You didn't want some mindless drone," Clint shot back defiantly, "otherwise you wouldn't have recruited me! You want someone who can think independently and outside the box because that's the kind of work SHIELD does." _

_The corner of Coulson's mouth curled up ever so slightly, mentally applauding Clint for his insight. All the profiling about him had been correct it seemed. _

"_I recruited you to SHIELD because I wanted your skill set and believed there was a chance I could turn you into a team player," threw back Fury, his voice full of menacing authority. "Clearly I was mistaken." _

"_If team player means your bitch, then yeah, you were wrong," said Clint aggressively, no longer even attempting any kind of pretence of submission. _

"_Don't blame your inadequacies on me, Agent Barton," said Fury coldly. "You were unable to perform your mission due to mental weakness. You're unable to kill a woman. It's an unpleasant fact of our job that sometimes the bad guys aren't guys at all. I can't have you hesitating in the field because of some misplaced sense of chivalry." _

_Coulson could hear the anger back in Clint's voice. "I do what I have to do, when I have to do it," he bit out. "That isn't a problem for me." _

"_All evidence to the contrary," replied a sarcastic Fury. _

"_But killing that target today would have been a mistake," continued on Clint stubbornly. _

"_And that statement would be coming from your wealth of information you have on the target I'm guessing?" Fury's sarcasm was getting stronger. _

"_If you like," said Clint defiantly. "I know her." _

_There was a brief pause before Fury was replying calmly. "Is that right?" _

"_I made a judgement call," said Clint sharply. "I know that Natasha Romanoff would be more use to you alive than dead." _

"_Oh, you made that call, did you?" _

"_Look, I know Romanoff, I know what she's capable of and I also know she'd be an asset for SHIELD." _

"_And what is in this proposition for me?" asked Fury coolly. "It seems to me that all I get out of this is two troublesome Agents rather than one. You're a pain in my ass, Barton, and I suspect Romanoff is only going to be worse. Why should I bother with either one of you when it'd be so much easier to just erase you both?" _

"_Because you didn't get to where you are by taking the easy way out," said Clint flatly. "You love taking risks because the bigger the risk, the bigger the pay off." _

"_And the bigger the fall out if it doesn't." _

_Coulson discretely shifted his weight from one foot to the other, still waiting for this 'meeting' to be over._

_Fury was speaking again. "And what makes you think Romanoff would even want to play ball with us?" _

"_You're very good at making people see things clearly, sir." There was a hint of wry humour on Clint's behalf with that. "You have a way about you." _

_Coulson did smile at that. _

_There was another long pause. "I'll give it some thought," said Fury gruffly. "But you mark my words, Barton, if I do decide to bring Romanoff on board, you can bet your fates are tied together. If this even looks like coming back to bite me in the ass, you're both going to take the fall." _

_Coulson could hear the smile in Clint's voice. "You're not going to regret this, sir." _

"_I already do," came the flat rejoinder. _

_Coulson continued to stare ahead as Clint walked out of the office and past him. _

"_Hey," said Clint, acknowledging his presence, but continuing to walk, a self-satisfied smile on his face. _

"_Agent Coulson." Fury was calling out to him. _

_Coulson stepped into the office. "Sir." _

"_You hear all that?" _

"_Of course not, sir, you pay me to be discrete," he replied, straight-faced._

_Fury half-smiled. "And what did your discretion make of that conversation you just heard?" _

_Coulson didn't miss a beat. "I think I'm going to be making an unexpected house call to a young lady's house in the near future." _

"_Is everything set up for the extraction?" _

"_Just as you requested, sir." _

"_She's not going to make it easy," Fury warned him. _

"_All the Agents have been briefed on Ms. Romanoff's versatility and skill base. They've been studying her for weeks." _

"_Good, I don't want any mistakes." _

"_There won't be, sir." _

_Fury was studying him intently. "Is there something on your mind, Agent Coulson?" _

_Coulson hesitated, unsure if he should say anything. "No, not really, sir." _

"_Speak your mind, Agent." _

_Coulson faced off against the imposing other man, not letting any real expression touch his face. "You took a big risk today, sir," he pointed out mildly. "Agent Barton could have taken that shot." _

"_Someone recently told me I like taking risks," said Fury dryly. "The pay offs are worth it." _

_Coulson frowned a little. "It's just that I'm not really sure why you went to all this trouble, sir. You could have just recruited them both independently. I'm not sure why you went to this kind of length to establish a connection with Romanoff under these conditions." _

"_It's all about checks and balances, Agent Coulson." _

"_Sir?" _

"_Barton and Romanoff are both loners," said Fury calmly. "I needed to give them a stake in something bigger than themselves to keep them in check." He walked back around his desk and took a seat. "This is going to bind them together, tighter than even their previous history. One day they will have loyalty to SHIELD and our ideals but in the meantime, I'm going to give them loyalty to each other. They'll be easier to rein in that way. Barton was right, he's an independent thinker, as is she, and until I can be sure that independence is going to be of a benefit to SHIELD, it needs to be micromanaged carefully." _

"_Permission to speak freely?" _

_Fury inclined his head slightly. _

"_You're very cunning and underhanded, sir." Coulson gave a little smile. "And I'd hate to play poker with you." _

"_You'd lose," confirmed Fury in vague amusement. _

_Coulson had one more question. "Do you think Agent Barton knows he's in love with her, sir?" _

_Fury sat back in his chair and made a steeple out of his fingers. "Unlikely," he said thoughtfully, "but that day will come." _

"_And what will happen then?" _

_Fury arched an eyebrow. "I guess that's up to them." _

**oooOOOOooo**

Doctor Weinberg walked into the waiting room, pulling off his surgical cap and rubbing his sweaty head as he approached them.

Clint immediately jumped to his feet. "Is she alright?"

The doctor gave a tired smile. "The surgery went well. I feel like I've gotten a clear excision of the tumour margins. We'll know more when we get the pathology report."

Steve was by his side. "And Natasha?"

"She handled the surgery very well," said the doctor. "All we can do now is wait for the swelling to go down in her brain and for her to wake up. It's only then that we'll have any real idea of what kind of post-operative brain issues we'll be facing." He smiled sympathetically at them all. "I'm sorry, everyone, but it's still a waiting game."

"But she's made it through surgery," piped up Jane, trying to be positive. "That's something, isn't it?"

"It's a big something," agreed Doctor Weinberg readily, "but Natasha's fight is just about to be begin."

Clint gave a small smile picturing her reaction to those words in his head. "Good, because if there is one thing Nat knows how to do, it's fight." And he knew how to fight by her side.


	73. Chapter 73

**A/N:**** Finally another chapter. **

**The muse and I still aren't speaking. I'm kinda bummed out about it. :( She's making winding up this fic very difficult. **

**So yes, again, not really happy with this chapter, but I just have to post it and be done with it. **

**I'm trying to unblock myself by writing some other little stories. I've posted 2 chapters of a 3 parter about Grimm and will probably post more, just to try and get the juices flowing. Check it out if you're a Grimm fan and have a minute or two to spare. Or don't, I'm not the boss of you. LOL It's called 'Desperate Measures'. **

**Anyhoo, here is the chapter, don't want to even guess at when the next one will be done, but I'll battle on, like the little trooper I am. LOL **

**Thanks for your patience, guys, I really appreciate it. X**

**Chapter Seventy-Three**

Tony finished towelling his hair dry and threw it carelessly on the little vanity in front of him. He'd just finished taking a quick shower with Greg's crisis kit supplies. Fortunately his clothes had been fresh, so they only had a vague lingering air of the sulphur when he'd put them back on. Lewis and Greg had left to go home now, and Tony was alone in the room. He leaned heavily on the vanity counter and looked into his reflection. Haggard eyes stared back at him. This was the first chance Tony had to be alone and he was unable to stop the dark thoughts crowding his brain. A muscle ticked uncontrollably in his jaw as he finally gave free reign to the emotions building inside of him. Tony thought about that moment when he'd realised Pepper had told him to blow the Tower, with her still in it. A white hot rage filled his body and Tony couldn't control himself. His fist snapped out and smashed the mirror in front of him. Tony welcomed the pain of splintering mirror cutting through the knuckles of his skin. He pulled back his hand and looked at his bloody knuckles unseeingly.

"That wasn't smart."

The calm observation came from behind him and Tony looked up at the broken mirror to see a splintered Steve reflected back at him. He turned around, a frown on his face. "Has something happened?"

Steve nodded, walking into the little bathroom. He picked up Tony's discard towel and took his hand, pressing it against his bleeding knuckles. "I was looking for you. Natasha is out of surgery."

"And?" Tony prompted him worriedly.

"The doctor was happy with the surgery, now we just have to wait and see how she is when she wakes up."

"Natasha is strong," said Tony determinedly. "She's going to kick this recovery thing's ass."

Steve half-smiled. "Yeah, she will." He pulled back the towel and looked at Tony's hand. "It's not too bad, you'll live." Steve gave him a worried look. "How's Pepper?"

"Sleeping."

"Sleep is good."

Tony looked away. "Yeah."

"Happy told us what happened."

Tony's jaw hardened. "Did he tell you that Pepper sacrificed herself for us?" he bit out. "Did he tell you that if wasn't for a twist of fate, I'd be visiting her in the morgue rather than a ward?"

Steve was studying him carefully. "You're angry at her."

"Yes," he said sharply. "No." Tony pulled his hand away and stepped back, his emotions getting the best of him. "How can I be mad at Pepper while she's lying up there in a hospital bed, half of her insides torn out?"

"But you are," pointed out Steve mildly.

Tony flung the towel across the room and made a frustrated noise. "Of course I am!" he almost shouted. "Pepper was going to let me kill her!"

"Pepper was going to give you a chance to overcome Hammer and Ghost's insane plot," he countered. "And it worked."

"But it nearly didn't," he said loudly, starting to pace. "Pepper almost died today and I was going to be the reason! How could she do that? I'm so mad at her that I can't think straight." He threw up his hands. "But I can't say that to her because she doesn't deserve it but I just can't-I just can't-". Tony ran out of words, feeling like the room was closing in on him all of sudden.

Steve grabbed his arm to stop the pacing. "You need to calm down," he directed Tony. "Just take a breath already. You're going to drive yourself crazy."

"Of course I'm going crazy," snapped Tony. The fear inside of him at all the what if's of today was scrambling his brain. "I just don't understand how Pepper could have thought I could go on after something like that," said Tony, still struggling with his anger. "How did she expect me to survive knowing I was the one who killed her?!"

"I know how," said Steve calmly. "Pepper's greatest gift to you is her faith in you, Tony."

Tony's shoulders sagged, the anger abruptly going out of him. "I don't deserve her faith," he said raggedly.

"How can you say that after today? You worked out how to stop those spiders. It was crazy and reckless and the kind of plan only you could come up with."

Tony ran his hand through his hair and felt suddenly overcome with tiredness. "But if it had come at the cost of Pepper-"

"But it didn't," said Steve firmly. "You've got to work out a way of letting the 'what if's' go, Tony." He grimaced. "Take it from someone who knows."

"I don't want Pepper to die because of me," said Tony hoarsely. "And I really don't want her putting herself in harm's way for me ever again."

"I'm sure she wasn't tickled pink when you launched yourself into that giant wormhole a couple of months ago," said Steve dryly. "But you did it to keep her and the rest of us safe. Pepper has learnt how to deal with that aspect of your relationship, maybe you should ask her for a few pointers?"

Tony sighed. "Yeah, maybe I should. She makes it look so easy."

"But we both know it's not."

Tony rubbed his hand. "I should be getting back to her." He looked at Steve. "Is there anything we can do for Natasha?"

"No, Clint's with her now. They'd only let one of us into the room and Clint seemed like the obvious choice. Plus, I don't think anyone was going to keep him out."

"I know the feeling," Tony murmured.

"I've sent Happy home and I think Thor and Jane are going to check into a hotel for the rest of the night. I'm not sure what Bruce's plans are. I think he wants to hang around and offer moral support for Clint." He moved his shoulders a little. "Plus, getting out of here is kind of like running the gauntlet."

"Reporters?"

"They've been camped out for hours. It's like a feeding frenzy down there."

"They smell some blood in the water and they come running," said Tony, screwing up his face in distaste.

"Tell Pepper I'll come and see her in the morning. I mean, later on in the morning."

Tony glanced at his watch and saw that it was past midnight. "I will." He turned to leave but then stopped and looked back at Steve, hesitating. "I, uh, you know."

Steve just smiled. "Yeah, I know and don't mention it."

"You know I won't." He managed a smile. "We've got a reputation to keep, after all."

Steve chuckled. "I know."

Tony continued to walk out of the bathroom and then out of the room, into the hall. He hurried back to Pepper's room to find a nurse checking her vitals yet again. "All good?" he asked, still anxious.

"Very good," confirmed the nurse, keeping her voice low.

"Good," said Tony in relief. He was too wound up to sit down, so instead he kind of hovered around, watching Pepper's sleeping countenance intently.

"You're making me dizzy," commented the nurse as she wrote down some notes on the clip board at the end of Pepper's bed.

"Sorry, guess I've still got some nervous energy." He kept pacing.

"Well, that nervous energy is no good to my patient. Why don't you take yourself home and get some rest?"

"My home has been overrun by nano-technology," said Tony absently. "No one should stay there until I've debugged the whole system."

"Okay," said the nurse slowly. "Then maybe you can get started on that and bring back some toiletries for Pepper while you're at it."

Tony frowned. "I don't want to leave her."

"She's fast asleep and is going to stay that way until at least the morning," the nurse assured him. "You'll be here when she wakes up. Right now, all you're doing is getting under everyone's feet."

Tony hesitated. "Maybe I should head back to the Tower and do a quick damage inventory." He wanted to see the damage for himself and do a risk assessment on being sure that the threat was well and truly over.

The nurse nodded approvingly. "There you go, sounds like a plan."

"And you're sure Pepper isn't going to wake up anytime soon?" Tony fretted.

"Honey, a bull elephant wouldn't be waking up anytime soon from those painkillers. Trust me, she's down for the count."

"Okay, but you've got my number if she does wake up," Tony instructed her. "Call me."

"She's not going to wake up but yes, if the impossible happens, I'll call you."

"I won't be long."

"Uh huh."

"And you'll call me?"

"I'll hit you if you don't leave already," said the woman dryly. "Just go, will you?"

Tony walked over to Pepper's side and bent down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back soon, sweetheart. I love you."

**oooOOOOooo**

Clint walked into Natasha's hospital room and nodded at the nurse fiddling with some kind of medical equipment. "How's she doing?"

"She's breathing on her own," observed the nurse. "That's a good thing and her vitals are strong. We just have to wait for her to wake up now."

Clint nodded slowly. "I know and I'm going to be here when she does."

The woman nodded understandingly. "You're her husband?"

"Partner," he corrected her absently, not taking his eyes off Natasha's pale features. Clint didn't bother to clarify. He studied her face, never having seen her so still. Well, he had once and he'd been frightened he was going to lose her then too. The nurse wafted off and Clint barely noticed. He pulled a seat up so he could sit by Natasha's bedside. "You're doing it wrong, you know," he chastised her huskily. Clint reached out a hand and stroked her forehead gently. "You're meant to wake up when the handsome prince kisses you, not fall asleep." A wobbly smile came to his lips. "But, I guess no one could ever accuse us of being traditional, hmm?" Natasha didn't answer, not that Clint had expected her to. "You're going to get through this," he told her softly, "and I've got your back while you do, you know that, don't you?" Clint raised Natasha's hand to cup his face and held it there. He wasn't used to one-sided conversations with Natasha and had to say he didn't like them. Clint preferred it when the fiery red-head bit back and always had something to say. He gave a sad little smile and settled a little more comfortably on his chair. And he was going to make sure he was here when she did wake up and have something to say.

Hell on earth wasn't going to see him move from her bedside.

**oooOOOOooo**

Jane walked back from having gone to the bathroom and looked around. "Where's Agent Coulson?"

"A nurse chased him back to his room," answered Bruce.

"That's probably a good thing," said Jane. "He seemed quite pale."

"He's had a rough day."

"Aye," agreed Thor, "as we all have." He glanced over to the door where Clint had disappeared through. "Are we able to see Natasha Romanoff and let her know her we are here?"

"It's the ICU, Thor," said Jane softly. "They only let one person in at a time."

"And I'm a bit nervous at the thought of you around all that delicate machinery," added Bruce.

"I would not do damage to the maiden," protested Thor.

"You did damage to that chair," pointed out Bruce as he inclined his head.

Jane looked over at the chair which was now missing an arm rest.

"T'was already broken before I leant my weight to it," said Thor indignantly.

"Just so you know," said Bruce dryly, "you say that a lot." He smiled at Jane. "Besides, weren't you two finding a hotel for the night? There is nothing more you can do here. At least some of us should get some sleep."

"Aye," agreed Thor. He looked down at Jane. "This has been a long night."

Jane went to agree when her cell phone went off. She moved off to one side to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, girlfriend, how's tricks?"

"Darcy," said Jane happily. "We're all fine. Well, Black Widow isn't out of the woods yet, but the rest of the Avengers are good."

"I've been watching everything go down on TV," her friend told her. "It's crazy."

Jane thought back to the roller coaster ride of that day. "You can say that again."

"Back up is on the way, I'm just about to land in New York."

"You've flown to New York?" asked Jane in disbelief.

"That's another way to say it," agreed Darcy. "I don't think it adds anything to what I said though."

"It's not that I'm not glad to have you around, Darcy, but you didn't need to do that."

"I figured if we were about to be overrun by giant bugs, I want to be standing behind the guy with the giant hammer," observed Darcy.

Jane smiled. "I can see your point."

"So, where are you guys, still at the hospital? The news reports are sketchy."

"Yes, but Thor and I are going to a hotel for the night," explained Jane. "The Avenger's Tower is a bit of a mess apparently, so we're leaving it for tonight. You can come and stay with us, if you like."

"As much as I'd love to play the part of gooseberry in your little love nest, I'll pass. Gran lives not far from the city, I'll stay with her tonight."

"Does she know you're coming?"

"No, but I figured I'd just break in and sleep in my old room. It'll be a nice change from how I used to break out when I was living with her. Kind of a yin and yang thing."

"Darc, if you're going to be near the city, could you do me a favour, please?"

"Only if it isn't immoral or illegal." Darcy paused. "Nah, I'm good with those ones too."

Jane gave a little laugh at her irrepressible friend and proceeded to ask her favour.

**oooOOOOooo**

Olivia pulled her coat a little more tightly around herself and looked up at the hospital visage yet again. She was standing in the little park area out the front of the hospital. She knew all the Avengers were currently inside and she was trying to decide what the right thing to do was. Despite it being past midnight now, people were still scurrying in and out of the brightly lit hospital entrance. There was also a bank of reporters milling around, waiting to catch sight of one of the Avengers. The initial news report had been spotty, telling people that the Avengers had eventually triumphed once again against a dark menace, saving them all. The TV and radio stations had also broadcast a message from President Lee himself, endorsing the Avengers wholeheartedly and hailing them as the heroes they were. The President also was quick to denounce the Captain America broadcast as a forgery.

Olivia had just known it. There was no way her Steve would ever do something like that to innocent people. She blushed a little, realising she'd thought of Steve as hers. They'd only shared one kiss but Olivia felt like they were already meant to be. The trouble was, she wasn't exactly sure if Steve was quite as sure and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin this all by getting ahead of herself. It was why she was standing there, unable to decide whether to go inside or not. When she'd first heard that one of the Avengers had been rushed to hospital, Olivia had nearly died. Reporters had crowded to the hospital, trying to get more information and finally news was given out that it was the Black Widow who'd suffered as yet undisclosed injuries. It had been a horrible kind of relief for Olivia. Of course she was praying that Black Widow would be alright, but she was just so glad it wasn't Steve. It made her feel guilty even thinking that, but it was how she felt. It was with these tumble of emotions that Olivia was still trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to be with Steve and offer him support if he needed it, but Olivia wasn't sure if it was too early in their relationship to presume he might even want her around. She still wasn't even exactly sure they had a relationship.

"You look confused." The sound of the calm woman's voice had Olivia starting a bit. She looked over to her left to see a woman with long, dark hair and soulful eyes, sitting on a nearby bench and looking up at her. The woman smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Olivia shook her head quickly. "You didn't. I was just-"

"Miles away?" offered up the woman, smiling again.

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "Kind of."

The woman shuffled along the seat a bit. "Why don't you sit down?"

Olivia hesitated briefly, but for some reason, found herself drawn to her. She took a seat next to her. Olivia smiled a little uncertainly. "I like your coat."

The woman looked down at her red coat and smiled. "Thank you." She looked up at the hospital and back at Olivia. "Do you have someone you care about inside?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," said Olivia and then confused herself. "I mean no. No, I mean yes and no."

The woman chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise how difficult that question was going to be."

Olivia blushed again. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that it's a little complicated."

"I'm beginning to see that," she replied in wry amusement.

"I mean, there is someone I care about inside the hospital but he's not sick or anything." Olivia continued on hastily. "But I still do care about the person who is sick, even though I've never met her."

The woman was watching her steadily, with an understanding expression on her face. "I see."

Olivia wasn't sure if that was possible after her attempts at an explanation.

"May I ask why you aren't inside being with the people you care about rather than catching a chill out here?"

Olivia moved a little in her seat, face clouding over. "I'm not sure he'd want me there," she admitted. "I want to be there for him, but I don't want to be that crazy stalker girl either."

"If the man can't tell the difference between genuine concern and mental instability, I suggest you end things now," was the dry rejoinder. "You seem perfectly sane to me and if your instincts tell you that he needs you, I think you should listen to them."

That word of advice made Olivia feel better. "I think you're right," she said slowly. Olivia cast the woman a curious look. "What are you doing here and not inside, if you don't mind me asking?" She looked over at the crowd of reporters, a frowned. "You're not with them, are you?"

She gave a disdainful sniff. "Hardly."

Olivia looked at her expectantly to continue.

"I'm waiting," she said simply.

She didn't volunteer any information beyond that and Olivia was too polite to press her. "Oh, I see," she said, even though she didn't really.

The woman just smiled again. "I think you have somewhere you need to be," she prompted her gently.

Olivia nodded, her face lighting up. "I think I do too," she said, feeling much better about being there now. Olivia stood up. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, maybe we'll meet again one day."

Olivia smiled. "I hope so." With that, she pulled her coat more securely around herself and headed off towards the hospital entrance, determined to find Steve and just let him know she was here for him if he needed her.

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony walked into the arc reactor room at the Avengers' Tower and looked around, his face set in stone. It looked like a bomb had gone off, which, he supposed it had with Pepper blowing up the reactor. Tony walked inside, taking in the damage done. He looked up saw the walkway above hanging by a few metal links. Looking down he saw a metal rod sticking up from the rubble. He walked over to it and crouched down. There was a pool of blood around the rod, staining the bricks and mortar and Tony knew instinctively that it belonged to Pepper. He felt the bile rise in the back of his throat as he imagined her impaled and helpless on that rod. Tony stood up abruptly and walked away, unable to bear the mental image of her being in that much pain. He strode out of the room and headed up the stairs to his and Pepper's apartment. There wasn't much he could do here right now, but at least he could do what the nurse had suggested and gather some toiletries for Pepper.

Anything to not feel quite so useless.

In their apartment, Tony packed a bag for Pepper, trying to think of everything she might need. "I need Greg," he muttered to himself. He scanned the contents of the bag and figured if he'd forgotten anything, he'd just go out and buy it. Tony had never been in an apartment store before, but it couldn't be that hard, right? He closed the bag and picked it up, anxious to get back to the hospital and be with Pepper. The lights weren't working properly in the building and they flickered as he walked out into the living room. He looked up and pulled a face, knowing that the overhaul of the building was going to be a huge task. Plus, he was going to be making some major security upgrades. The lights still flickered as he walked towards the door.

"Going somewhere?"

The slurred voice came from behind Tony and he tensed, recognising it immediately. The hackles on the back of his neck raised up.

"But you just got here, Tony. Why don't you stay and chat awhile?"

Tony was frozen to the spot, his hand on the doorknob. He slowly released the doorknob and turned around. A figure stepped out of the shadows and Tony's eyes went wide with horror, hardly able to believe what he was seeing...


	74. Chapter 74

**A/N****: Ahh, gentle reader, please forgive me for taking so long to do this next update. :(**

**I've got a new obsession in writing for Grimm and the ideas for that show are crowding my head and pushing out all other thoughts. I tried to ignore it, but the muse wouldn't hear of it, refusing to be of any help with this fic until I at least put some thoughts down about the other. **

**The good news is, that the muse and I have reached an understanding where I'll write my Grimm stories and she'll lend me an occasional hand with this story. It's not perfect, but compromises rarely are. LOL **

**So, yes, the muse and I have struck up an uneasy truce, but the result of which, I managed to get this long-ass chapter done. . It's nearly 5000 words, perhaps my longest chapter so far, I'm not sure. But, even though I was tempted, I didn't want to break it up because it ruined the flow. So, you get it all in one go. **

**A few more things are finished off in this chapter, leaving me with just a few more to go. Sooo close to the end, peeps, can you feel it, can you see the end in sight? I can hardly believe it. **

**Okay, I've kept you waiting long enough. I'll let you get to the reading, but thank you all faithful readers for being so patient with me and an especially big thank you to all who comment and cheer me on. It's the reason this chapter even got done, truly. :D Thank you. **

**Chapter Seventy-Four**

Tony's brain tried to desperately understand who, or rather, what he was looking at. Justin Hammer stepped out of the shadows and stood in all of his wretched glory in front of him. It was hard to even recognise him as Hammer, but there was enough left of his face to recognise the man who'd plotted to take everything for him. Hammer's body was a mangled melding of flesh and sinew, entwined with metal and glass. Half of his face was just exposed muscle and veins with bits of metal integrated into it. One leg was shorter than the other and he appeared to be missing a foot, while his other foot was turned at a sickening angle. Tony recognised part of his Mark VII suit mixed into the mess which was standing before him. What he did see was that the remnants of the suit's unibeam were embedded in his chest, wrapped around a partially exposed rib cage. Tony tried to calculate the likelihood that weapon was still functioning. It was hard to look away from the walking anathema Hammer had become. "You've gone wrong," said Tony slowly, taking in his deformed appearance, "on every possible level and in every possible way."

Hammer looked down at his monstrous self and gave a little shrug, exposed musculature accenting the simple movement, as sinews moved on the surface of his body. "I'll admit it's a work in progress," slurred Hammer. His voice was altered and had an odd tone to it, possibly because his voice box was actually semi-exposed. "But my little nano-bots are doing their best." Hammer gave a sickening smile, his teeth revealed behind metal lips and ragged flesh. "They're just doing what their daddy told them to do, to become one with him."

Tony arched an eyebrow, his initial shock passed. "Clearly you've not gotten any saner since we last talked." A cold rage was flooding his body. This was the man who'd threatened Pepper's life, put her in hospital and almost stolen her from him forever. Tony's fists curled unconsciously.

"The nano-bots are just a little confused," Hammer defended his progeny. "I was a bit of a mess after that bitch, Pepper, tried to kill me."

Tony's eyes flashed death and he took a threatening step towards the other man. "Don't you talk about Pepper, not ever again. You don't get to even think about her."

Hammer's good eye looked hopeful. "She's dead?"

"No," Tony bit out, "your insane plot failed."

"And the Avengers? I suppose they're still around as well?"

"Every single one of them," said Tony, gaining some grim satisfaction from passing on that news, "unlike your wannabes who have scattered to the wind."

Hammer made a clicking noise. "Ah well, what are you gonna do, right?"

"Did you really think your plan was going to work?" asked Tony in disbelief.

"I thought it had a shot, sure." Hammer took a step forward.

Tony could now see areas of his body rippling as the nano-bots raced to work out what went where in the mess of human body parts, Iron Man suit and arc reactor. It was clear they were making him more functional with each passing moment. That was a concern to Tony, because they were working to their own personal blue print and it was hard to know what the end result would be. He doubted it was going to be anything benign.

Hammer scratched his cheek with a metal finger and chunk of his face fell off in a puddle on the ground. He continued on without even glancing down. "Looking back, I realised my plan for revenge against you was probably overly complicated," he conceded. "But like you, I have the theatre in my heart."

Tony could actually see Hammer's heart beating through his ribs. "I think that's a piece of wood," he commented flatly, seeing the odd extrusion sticking out of the organ.

Hammer chuckled, or at least his version of the sound now. It sounded like a drowning cat. "You always did make me laugh, Tony."

"And you always made my skin crawl," said Tony harshly. He looked him over. "Now the whole world gets to see you for the monster you really are."

"If I'm the monster, then you're my Doctor Frankenstein," said Hammer bitterly. He waved a hand at his deformed, shifting body. "There wouldn't be this without you, Tony." He stretched his arms out wide. "Behold your creation, Tony Stark."

"Your jealousy and stupidity created all that," Tony shot back, expression hard. "Not me."

"You never were one to accept the consequences of your actions," tutted Hammer in an almost motherly fashion. "It's your biggest flaw."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "My biggest flaw was not killing you years ago." His expression hardened. "But don't worry, I intend to put you out of your misery now."

Hammer looked unfazed. "I don't think so, Tony. It's my time to shine now. You've had your turn in the spotlight and now I'm taking what is owed to me." His lips curled up in a hideous smile. "Today I am a man reborn, a new creation to be worshiped as a god. All will see me and bow before their lord and master."

Tony's face wrinkled in disgust. "You're kidding, right? You're nothing but a walking, sorry, excuse me, limping abomination."

"I'm the caterpillar waiting to emerge from its cocoon," shot back Hammer. "When my babies are done with me, I will be a thing of magnificence. My body will be stronger and better than any human on this planet. You have to put on your suit, Tony Stark, well, I am the Iron Man suit!" He sneered at him. "How does it feel to have your creation taken away from you and perfected?"

"I'll let you know when it happens." Tony kept his voice low and controlled, despite the rage seething inside of him.

"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" The unibeam in his chest started to glow. "Well, not this time."

A crackle of energy shot out from the unibeam and caught a chair next to Tony. He jumped out of the way deftly.

Hammer made a face. "It pulls a little to the left, good to know."

Tony could tell the weapon wasn't at full strength yet and was taking time to recharge. He charged at Hammer, knocking him off his feet. They rolled around on the ground until Tony ended up straddling Hammer. The rage which had been looking for an outlet ever since he'd heard how Pepper had been hurt had finally found a worthy target. Tony pummelled Hammer's face with his fist, not caring the pain it caused him as he connected with the newly installed bits of metal in the other man's face. This man had been working to take everything from him for a long time and not caring who he hurt to do it. "You son of a bitch!" he screamed at Hammer. "You're never going to hurt anyone again!" A particularly hard punch broke Hammer's cheek bone. Tony could feel the newly forming bone crumble under his fist. The nano-bots were instantly on the job and Tony looked down in horror as his hand was encased in a silver glow as millions of the little computers sort to fix the damage he'd created. Only, they now figured Tony was to be assimilated back into the hodgepodge which was Hammer. He could feel a warm feeling in his hand as they scurried about, trying to work out how Tony's fist should be fitted back into Hammer.

"Can you feel it, Tony?" gloated Hammer, spitting bits of blood and teeth at Tony. "They're making us one. It was how it was always meant to be. The two of us, together forever."

Tony's stomach turned over in revulsion.

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve was walking back to the ICU and thinking about his conversation with Tony. He grimaced, knowing how much pain Tony was in right now. He hoped something he'd said had gotten through to the other man, but ultimately, when it came to the people you loved, it was always going to be hard. Immediately his thoughts turned to Olivia. Steve hated the thought that she most likely would have seen him on TV, threatening so many people's lives. Despite the President himself having endorsed him, Steve didn't want to think what seeing him like that had done to Olivia. He wouldn't blame her if she told him she never wanted to see him again. A lead weight settled in Steve's stomach at that thought. He had an impulse to call Olivia but a glance at his watch told him it was already past one in the morning. What was he going to say anyway? Sorry to wake you, I promise I'm not some insane megalomaniac intent on killing millions of people… anymore? Or how about - good news, I'm no longer the mindless puppet of a lunatic, want to go and catch a movie? Steve pulled a face. It was hardly the stuff of every woman's fantasy he thought morosely.

Up ahead of him a blonde woman walked into the corridor and briskly headed towards the large swinging doors which led to the ICU. Steve stopped abruptly, not sure if his tired eyes were playing tricks on him. The woman was disappearing behind the doors before he reacted. "Olivia!" he called out her name, knowing it was impossibility. That didn't stop Steve from racing to catch up after her though. "Olivia!" He was just about to push open the swinging door when it abruptly swung back on him, catching him in the face. Steve made a squawking noise and grabbed at his nose, instantly feeling blood coming out.

"Oh no!" gasped a woman's voice.

Through the spots before his eyes, Steve saw the horrified face of Olivia. A huge grin split his face. "Olivia!" he exclaimed, ridiculously happy that his eyes hadn't been deceiving him.

"Oh my God," she said in distress, "I've made your nose bleed!"

Steve waved a casual hand at his nose. "What, this? No, I got it in the fight at Los Alamos."

Olivia gave him a sceptical look. "Really?"

"Absolutely," lied Steve, still grinning like a loon and ignoring the way blood was dripping from his nose. "What are you doing here?" A horrible thought suddenly occurred to him. Steve grabbed her arm. "You're not sick, are you?" She looked utterly perfect to him. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she said quickly, "I'm fine."

Steve blew out a relieved breath. "That's good."

Olivia dug around in her bag and pulled out a few tissues. "Here," she offered them to him.

Steve accepted the tissues and wiped at his nose. "Thanks."

Olivia made a pained face. "I'm so sorry, Steve. I always seem to be causing you pain."

"I don't see how that can be, when I'm always so happy around you." Steve's words hung between them and he was suddenly worried he'd said too much. "I mean-ahh, that's to say, I don't want you to feel like you have to say anything back to that-"

Olivia gave him a tremulous smile. "I'm happy when I'm with you too," she confessed shyly. "I wanted to come and check if you were okay after everything that happened today. I hope I'm not being a bother."

"No," said Steve hastily, "you're not. I'm really glad you're here, Olivia."

Her face lit up. "You are?"

"Today's been tough," he confessed roughly. "Being with you makes it seem not so bad."

Olivia surprised him by wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. It didn't take Steve but a split second to respond though, wrapping his arms around her as well and holding her close. It felt like he'd just come home. It was the first time he'd felt that way since waking up seventy years after going to sleep.

"I'm so sorry about all the horrible things that have happened to you today," she whispered, cheek against his chest. "Is Natasha going to be alright?"

Steve rested his cheek against the top of her head and breathed in the soft scent of her shampoo. "We hope so," he said solemnly. "If people on her side count for anything, then she is going to have this beat."

Steve felt Olivia tighten her hold around his waist. "I feel really awful saying this," she said unevenly, "but I'm so glad you weren't the one hurt, Steve." She looked up at him with worried eyes. "I mean, I didn't want anyone to get hurt," said Olivia quickly. "That didn't come out right."

Steve pushed a stray strand of blonde hair back from her face. "It's alright, I know what you mean." His face clouded over. "I don't know what you thought today when you saw me say those things on TV," he began gravely.

"I thought it wasn't you," Olivia interrupted him, no trace of doubt in her voice. "I thought you'd never do or say anything to hurt innocent people and that this had to be some kind of trick."

"I wasn't myself," agreed Steve. "I was taken over by microscopic robots. I know that sounds crazy-"

"Do you mean nano-bots?"

Steve looked at her in surprise. "You've heard of them?"

"I'm a big Science Fiction fan."

"Okay," said Steve slowly, "so I guess it isn't as weird as I thought." His face darkened. "I don't like fighting an enemy you can't see."

She smiled up at him, both of them ignoring the looks of passer-bys as they remained in each other's embrace. "You seemed to do okay."

"I had help," said Steve, feeling a surge of pride over how the Avengers had worked so well together today. He looked down at her, a tinge of amazement in his voice. "You know, this whole Avenger thing might actually have some legs."

"Don't sound so surprised," she chastised him gently. "You're all amazing individuals. Why wouldn't you be an even more amazing team?"

Steve gave a lop-sided smile. "I can see your logic there."

"Captain America, Cap, Cap!" The sound of a man shouting behind him had Steve turning around. There were a group of about six people, men and women stepping off the elevator. It was obvious they were reporters, particularly when one man hoisted a TV camera onto his shoulder. Two security guards were running towards the group but the reporters were all yelling questions at him as they barrelled down the hallway.

"Cap, any word on the injured Avenger?!"

"Who was it? What happened?"

"Was Justin Hammer behind what happened at Los Alamos?"

"Is it true that you and Iron Man don't get on?"

"Who's that with you, is there a new girl in your life? America wants to know, Cap?!"

Steve felt Olivia tense behind him as he turned around to face them and protectively covered her from their intrusive cameras. The two security guards didn't have much of a chance to stop the reporters, seeing as they were outnumbered three to one. Steve looked back at Olivia and saw she was looking overwhelmed and even a little scared by the attention. He grabbed her hand and pulled Olivia along down the corridor in the opposite direction. "Come on," Steve instructed her quickly, "this way."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony jerked his hand away, shaking off bits of Hammer's flesh, which the nano-bots had started trying to insert into his own. The idea of having even a molecule of Hammer merged with his own was a sickening one. Hammer took his moment of distraction and used it to his advantage. He grabbed Tony and flung him across the room with his Mark VII augmented strength. Tony bounced off the wall and landed face down on the floor. He could hear the creaks and squelching sounds of Hammer getting to his feet. Tony leapt up, and got to Hammer before he was fully upright, sweeping at his feet.

Hammer went down again but this time he managed to roll to his feet just as quickly. "Give it up, Tony, as of today, I'm the better man and I'm getting more so every second."

"There are not enough nano-bots in the world to make you anything more than what you are at your core, Hammer," Tony shot back derisively, "and that's a loser. Everything you touch will always crumble into dust."

"I think you're projecting, Tony," shot back Hammer sweetly. "I do believe that is your biggest fear. That no matter what you do, it's going to amount to nothing because deep down, you know that's what you are. That's why you cling to the people who make you feel like something so desperately. People like Pepper, but one day, Pepper is going to get bored with you and walk away. I don't have to take her from you, you're going to do that yourself." Hammer levelled his unibeam at Tony and fired.

Once again, Tony leapt out of the way and missed being killed by the deadly blast. Hammer talking about Pepper infuriated Tony, but he was done having his head played with by this nut case. "You'll never understand what Pepper and I have," bit out Tony coldly, "because you've never been loved by anyone your entire life. You're a shell, Hammer, with nothing but hot air and delusions of grandeur inside."

Hammer made a guttural growl of anger, Tony's barb obviously striking a nerve. He went to fire the unibeam at Tony again, but the weapon hadn't recharged yet. Tony went to make his move again when suddenly the door to the apartment opened, interrupting the tense standoff between the two of them. A short woman with long dark hair and glasses was in the door way. She had a back pack over her shoulder and a bottle of water in her hand. Tony recognised her immediately from reading Thor's background files.

Darcy Lewis' eyes went wide in shock as she took in the mangled mess of what was left of Justin Hammer. She made a strangled noise. "Kill it!" she yelled involuntarily. "Kill it with fire!"

Tony tensed, trying to get to Darcy first, but Hammer was closer. He grabbed her by the throat and spun Darcy around, deformed fingers cutting into her pale flesh. Darcy was forced to go up onto her tip toes to avoid being choked completely.

"Oh hey," she said weakly, a forced smile on her lips, "I hope I wasn't out of line with that fire crack."

Hammer clearly wasn't interested in her. What was left of his face smirked at Tony. "Looks like the game just changed again, Tony."

Tony's face hardened. "What is it with you and putting women between us all the time?" he ground out. "Be a man, or what's left of one anyway, and let's settle this between us."

Hammer tilted his head and appeared to be thinking about that offer. "You know, I don't think so. I like seeing you deal with the consequences of your actions and the way they affect people around you, Tony." He tightened his hold on Darcy's neck. "And this is an important moment of growth for you, I wouldn't want to cheat you of it. That's just the kind of friend I am."

Darcy winced at the tightened hold but tried to bluff her way out of the situation. "Clearly I'm interrupting whatever the hell this is. I feel like you two should be alone to work out your issues."

"It's too late for that," Hammer hissed into her ear, spitting flecks of flesh and mucous at her.

"It's going to be alright, Darcy," said Tony quickly. "Don't panic. I'll get us out of this."

"Good to know," she said shakily, looking at him with stressed eyes. "Any chance you're going to make your move soon?" Darcy blinked. "Wait, how did you know who I am?"

Tony's mind was working at a mile a minute as he slowly circled around Hammer. He wanted the other man to get use to him moving and drop his guard. Tony knew that all the newly-augmented Hammer had to do was tighten his hold on the young woman and her neck would be snapped. He wasn't going to let that happen. "I read your bio in Thor's file."

"Oh," said Darcy, seeming to forget her predicament for a moment, "that's cool in a 'Big Brother is watching you' kinda way."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," said Hammer sarcastically, "but I'm planning on killing you now."

"Are you talking to me or him?" asked Darcy fearfully.

Hammer gave a serpent-like smile. "Him."

"Oh good," said Darcy in relief and gave Tony an apologetic look. "No offence."

Tony's eyes were still on Hammer, sizing up the situation. "None taken."

Oozing fluid dripped from Hammer's face onto Darcy's. She screwed up her face in disgust. "Oh God, oh God, oh God!" she yelled and then threw a desperate look to Tony. "Don't ever tell me what that was!" Darcy shouted at him. She squirmed in Hammer's hold. "Look, I'm just doing a favour for a friend. I'm just here for a toothbrush, cell phone recharger and underwear. You totally don't need me to do this."

"Darcy is right," agreed Tony readily. "You want to kill me, Hammer, well, just do it."

"I will," spat out Hammer, "but first you get to watch the girl die."

Tony knew he couldn't get Darcy away from Hammer fast enough, his brain clicked into overdrive. "Darcy!" he said urgently. "Your water! Throw your water!"

"I don't think this situation is going to be solved by a refreshing spritz!" she yelled back at him, looking like she was about to panic.

"Not you, him!" Tony didn't know if this was going to work, but he had a hunch and his hunches were rarely wrong.

Darcy fumbled with the lid of her water bottle which she was still holding and reached back behind her and emptied the contents all over Hammer.

Hammer shook his head and blinked the water out of his one eye. "Is that it?" he asked sarcastically. "That's the best the great and brilliant Tony Stark can come up with when the chips are down? You try and drown me in a bottle of water?"

"I'm not trying to drown you," threw back Tony, his eyes fixed on Hammer's face, hoping against hope this gamble was going to pay off.

Suddenly, Hammer's face began to shift, his features sliding down his face as everything started to liquefy. He made a strangled noise. "What is it?" he gurgled. "What's happening to me?" Hammer loosened his grip on Darcy and Tony lunged forward, dragging her out of his grasp. He pulled Darcy to his side and they both watch Hammer stagger back. He put his hands to his face and his skin and hair melted over the top of them. Hammer's form started to waver, more of his body losing its shape and he began to dissolve before their very eyes. It was just as Tony had surmised. The nano-bots were about integrating whatever they could find into Hammer's reforming body, and that included the water. Hammer was literally melting before their eyes.

"What have you done?!" howled Hammer as he fell back against the wall behind him. "No, no, this can't be happening! I'm a god, I can't die, no one can stoppp-" his last words trailed off as his voice box melted and speech became impossible. Hammer continued to dissolve down into mass of writhing muscle, bone and metal.

Tony held onto Darcy tightly as they watched the gruesome sight. The poor girl would not have been expecting to witness something like this when all she was doing was a favour for a friend. She must be completely freaked out. They both looked down at the growing, red pulpy stain on the carpet.

"You're probably going to need to replace that carpet," Darcy commented unevenly. "I once dropped a PBJ sandwich on my bedroom carpet and accidentally stepped on it. This looks kinda the same and that stuff did not want to come out."

The fact that Darcy wasn't screaming her head off right now was impressive to Tony, as was her matter of fact pragmatism. "Duly noted." He managed to tear his eyes off the disgusting mess on the ground and smiled approvingly at the spunky woman by his side. "Nice going, Dorothy."

She smiled back, a little pale, but obviously none the worse for wear. "You weren't too shabby either, Scarecrow."

Tony paused. "You know I'm Iron Man, right? If we're going with Wizard of Oz analogies, wouldn't I more likely be the Tin Man?"

"But you used your brains to outsmart him," she argued. "That makes you the Scarecrow."

"Tin Man still makes more sense."

Darcy gave a short shake of her head. "It's my call and you're the Scarecrow."

Tony pouted. "In that case, I'm downgrading you to Toto."

"Too late, no take backs."

"Since when?"

"Since I walked into your building, got manhandled by the blob and decided not to sue your ass," said Darcy unapologetically. "No take backs." She wrinkled her nose, looking back at the meaty mass staining Tony's carpet. "Does this kind of stuff happen often around here?"

"Kind of," admitted Tony honestly.

Darcy nodded and looked thoughtful. "In that case, I'm going to have to start wearing enclosed shoes more often."

"It probably isn't going to hurt," conceded Tony.

"So," said Darcy slowly, "the Wicked Witch is dead, right? He's not coming back from that?"

Tony walked over to the edge of bloody mess and crouched down, his face serious. "No, he's not coming back from this. Justin Hammer is dead." It gave Tony a grim sense of satisfaction to say those words, as dark as it was.

"Pretty bad way to go."

"He deserved worse," said Tony unsympathetically, thinking of Pepper and what Hammer had done to the Avengers, all those lives he'd endangered.

"Remind me to stay on your good side."

Tony looked up at Darcy and half-smiled. "Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem, Dorothy."

**oooOOOOooo**

Steve pulled Olivia to one side on the internal staircase, as they both listened for the sounds of people giving chase.

"I think we lost them," said Olivia a little breathlessly, her face flushed an appealing shade pink from their quick dash.

"We should stay here for a little while, just to make sure," Steve concluded. He looked down at her in concern. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at him innocently. "For what?"

"For all that craziness." He made a regretful face. "I know it's not fun."

Olivia gave a soft smile. "There are things which make up for it."

Steve brightened, caught up in how beautiful Olivia looked when she smiled at him like that. "There are?"

She nodded, looking a little shy again, but putting her hands on his chest. "Yes," she whispered, looking infinitely kissable.

Steve knew Olivia must be able to feel the way his heart was thundering underneath her hand. "You know," he said unevenly, "we should probably stay here for a bit."

Olivia nodded. "Make sure we've given them the slip."

Steve wanted to kiss her so badly. He slipped his arms around her waist and drew her close. Olivia moved into him, clearly expecting to be kissed but he drew back. Steve made a worried face. "Olivia, I'm infected with those nano-bots, I don't know if we should-". He trailed off, really wishing he didn't have to stop this. "I don't want to infect you too."

"But they're inactive now, aren't they?"

"Yes," fretted Steve, "but I haven't really been checked out and I don't want to put you at risk."

Olivia gave a little smile. "I'm getting used to taking risks." Her hands went around his neck. "I'm starting to like it."

Steve felt the way Olivia's compliant body fitted against him so well and his last bit of self-restraint. "You can't know how happy that makes me."

Olivia bit her bottom lip, an almost coquettish look in her eye. "Then perhaps you'd better show me, Captain Rogers," she teased him impishly.

Steve was undone as he dragged her into a passionate kiss. It was even better than their first kiss and he hadn't believed that was possible. They lost themselves in each other, completely oblivious to the rest of the world and Steve couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy.


	75. Chapter 75

**A/N****: Okay, so I was writing and writing with this chapter and it just kept getting longer. I gave up at 6000 words and decided to split it. LOL **

**Now, a big warning with this chapter – a lot of sugary, sappy sweetness going on, but I'm continuing to try and hand out pay offs for the different shippers out there. ;) So, insulin shots by the stand by before you delve into this chapter, okay, guys? :D **

**And I've worked out that there will be two more chapters and an epilogue to go for this story, just in case anyone was curious. **

**So, on with the show, folks and thank you once again for your patience. **

**Chapter Seventy-Five**

Bruce slipped into the vacant hospital room and made his way quietly to the window and looked down. He'd needed a break from the cloying atmosphere of the hospital. Looking to stretch his legs and get some fresh night air, Bruce had tried to leave the hospital but found every single exit being covered by a horde of reporters. The last thing he wanted to do was to deal with them. Instead, he was taking a gamble. Bruce walked up to the window and looked out at the scene below. It looked to be the garden area of the hospital grounds, with trees and hedges dim shadows below. He was four storeys up but could see there were no pesky reporters to bother him. Bruce pulled on the window, surprised at how easy it was to open. He quickly climbed out and stood on the ledge, looking at the ground below him. This had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now Bruce wasn't so sure. If he got this wrong, it was really, really going to hurt. The idea of harnessing the Hulk and directing his power was still a new one to Bruce, but he knew the only way to get better at it was practice. And possibly some dumb luck. His lips quirked. Well, he was providing the dumb, hopefully someone else would provide the luck. It was hard not to worry about not keeping the other guy in control, he'd been doing it for so long. A hospital was no place for a rampaging beast but at some point, he had to do what Tony kept nagging him to do – have a little faith.

Bruce blew out a long breath, calming himself down and reaching out for the Hulk. He found him quickly, clawing at the door, eager to be let out as always. "Just give me a little bit," he muttered to the creature inside. "You've had your fun for the day." Bruce took another deep breath and stepped off the ledge. The adrenalin raced through his body as he dropped to the ground like a stone. Muscles swelled, power coursed through every fibre of his being and then Bruce was landing with a thud on the ground. Unfortunately, it was in a clump of bushes, but the important thing was he hadn't broken every bone in his body. "Down boy," he ordered the other guy in a low voice, feeling a surge of power at reining in the beast inside. Bruce felt the Hulk back off, retreating into himself and Bruce felt his muscles deflate to normal size. He hadn't even ripped his shirt he realised in amazement. It was early days, but with some ongoing practice, Bruce was beginning to see a real chance to have some kind of directed control over the Hulk. A smile actually touched his lips at the thought.

"Nice landing, I think the Russian judge is going to give you a 10."

Bruce started at the sound of the woman's voice and jerked around abruptly. He was still standing in the bushes and the sudden movement caused him to catch his foot on a root. Bruce lost his balance, tumbled forward and ended up rolling out of the shrubs, onto his back.

Betty Ross' amused face appeared above him. "Although he might have to deduct half a point for that round off."

"Betty," gasped Bruce, unable to believe his eyes. Surely this was a trick of the moonlight?

Betty gave a little laugh. "I think it was your smooth moves which I fell in love with first," she teased him.

Bruce scrambled to his feet and looked at her in amazement. "What, how, when, why-?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth.

"So many questions," she tutted with a smile, "always a scientist first, hmm, Bruce?"

"It's you," he said raggedly, unable to take his eyes off her.

"It's me," she agreed huskily. Betty pulled her red coat around her more tightly and smiled up at him. "Hello, Bruce," she said softly. "You're looking good." Betty pulled a stray bit of foliage from his hair and the teasing was back in her tone. "If a little leafy."

"I'm really afraid this is a dream right now," Bruce rasped, "and I don't want to do or say anything that might wake me up."

She nodded approvingly. "That's a good plan and makes it easier to do this." Betty stepped forward and grabbed the lapels of Bruce's jacket, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Bruce's head was spinning as he took a moment to register to realise this was really happening. Then he was grabbing her waist and pulling Betty closer to him. He was torn between wanting this kiss to go on forever and asking the million questions running around in his head.

The kiss finally ended and Betty drew back, stroking his face lovingly. "You don't know how much I've missed being about to do that whenever I wanted," she said huskily.

Bruce's heart swelled with love for the woman in his arms. "If it's been half as much as me, it's been unbearable." He held her as close as he possibly could, drinking in the sight of her. "Betty, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked in amazement.

"I got this phone call where someone rang me and then said nothing." She gave a little smile. "I figured it was either teenagers playing a prank or you," she remarked. Betty gave him a warm look. "And I know your silences."

Bruce leant his forehead against Betty's, marvelling at how someone like her could love him. "I needed so badly to hear your voice."

"I know," she said quietly, "why do you think I'm here." Betty's face clouded over. "I was so worried about you today. The news reports coming out of Los Alamos were terrifying."

"But it worked out in the end. The Avengers, we worked as a team, we handled the situation." That was still somewhat of an amazing thought to Bruce.

"But someone was hurt?" queried Betty in concern.

Bruce gave a short nod, face serious. "Black Widow, Natasha." He grimaced. "She has a brain tumour and they had to operate."

Betty gave a gasp of distress. "Oh, Bruce, that's terrible. Is she going to be alright?"

Bruce thought about that question. "You know me, Betty, I'm not an overly optimistic guy as a rule but-"

"But you believe in her," she finished knowingly. "You believe Natasha can make it through this."

"I do," said Bruce sincerely. "She's got so many people on her side which may be a new concept for her, but we're all here to stay and we're going to do what it takes to help her get through this."

Betty was looking at him intently, the way she did when Bruce knew she was reading his soul. "Why do I think Natasha's not the only one having to get used to people caring about them?" she asked quietly.

Bruce looked at her in surprise.

Betty's tone was earnest. "I've been watching all the Avengers coverage on TV, I've seen how the Hulk is with them, how they are with him." She looked suddenly emotional. "You've found people, Bruce, you've found people who can really understand you and you have a place with them."

Bruce felt unexpected tears sting his eyes.

Betty gave a watery smile. "You've been alone for so long, Bruce and I don't want you to be alone anymore. When I saw you with the Avengers, I knew you weren't. Those people can be something to you that you've been missing for a long time, a family."

"But they're not you," said Bruce achingly. "Betty, I miss you so much."

"Then ask me to stay and I will," she whispered. "Bruce, I love you. I've always loved you and I want to be with you."

Bruce closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers again. "I know," he groaned. "It's been so hard to walk away from you."

"And I know why you did it," she said softly. "You did it to protect me."

"The other guy, if he ever hurt you-" Bruce's words were choked off with thick emotion. The thought was unbearably painful. He pulled back to be able to see her face. "All I could think about was getting rid of that thing inside of me, so you and I could be together again. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me, especially you. I was like the kid in bed with the covers pulled over his head, too scared to check for the monsters under the bed," Bruce confessed. "But now that I've finally peeked under that bed-"

"The monster isn't quite so scary?" filled in Betty with a knowing little smile.

"Yeah," said Bruce slowly. "How crazy is that?"

Betty put her hands on his chest, smiling up at him. "I've heard crazier."

"I've been doing this training with Tony," began Bruce. "Tony Stark that is. It was against my will but he was convinced I could direct the power of the Hulk to make him do what I wanted. Tony is completely crazy and reckless but he harnesses that insanity to do amazing things. I'm beginning to think I can do the same thing with the other guy. Tony was right." He gave Betty a quick look. "And if you repeat that to anyone, I'll deny it completely. He already thinks too much of himself, I'm not adding to that train wreck."

Betty laughed. "Your secret is safe with me." Her expression became more uncertain. "So, where does that leave us, Bruce?"

"Betty, I want you to be with me," said Bruce urgently, "so much that there aren't any words to tell you how badly I want that."

"But?" she prompted him.

"But it's still such early days with me and the other guy. I just need some time to make sure I can bring him under control properly. If there is one thing in this world which makes me lose all control, it's you, Betty, and I don't want to take any chances with that." Bruce made a regretful face, a sick feeling in his stomach. "I have no right to ask you to waste any more time on me, Betty. You've been so patient for so long, I can't ask you to-"

"I'd wait for you forever, Bruce," Betty interrupted him with the simple truth. "I love you."

"How did I ever get so lucky to have you in my life?" asked Bruce, completely in awe.

"Dumb luck," she teased him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Bruce grinned. "I guess that must be it." They held each other's gaze for a long moment, both of them drinking in the sight of the other.

"So," said Betty huskily, "what's a girl got to do to get a little action around here?"

Bruce's heart skipped a beat and he instinctively tightened his hold on her. "Excuse me?" he asked, delighting in the wicked gleam he could see in Betty's eyes.

"I've come a long way to see you, Bruce," she chastised him, a mischievous smile playing around her lips. "I was kind of hoping you'd make it worth my while."

"You know I'm not that kind of girl, right?" he returned with feigned coyness.

"Of course you are," said Betty confidently. "Why do you think I fell in love with you in the first place?"

Bruce knew he was grinning from ear to ear. "I thought you loved me for my mind, Ms. Ross."

"Nope, it was your body the whole time," she sassed him cheekily, "especially your butt."

Bruce couldn't help but laugh. "Is that right?"

"Oh yeah," she purred, "I'm definitely all about Bruce Banner's butt, ask anyone." Betty arched an eyebrow at him. "So, know where we might be able to get a little privacy?"

Bruce glanced over his shoulder at the window of the vacant hospital room he'd just jumped from. "I might know somewhere. It's not very romantic though."

"The romance comes from the person, not the place," said Betty, leaning into him. "Think you can handle that, Dr Banner?"

"I'd like to give it a shot," he said throatily, moving into steal more kisses from her. "I love you, Betty and I'm so glad you're here."

"Prove it," she murmured against his lips.

"No force on earth could stop me," he declared before closing the small distance between them in a passionate kiss. Nothing ever felt as good as holding Betty in his arms and Bruce was determined to hold onto her for as long as he possibly could before he was forced to let her go, yet again. He made a promise to himself in that moment that their separation wasn't going to be for very long this time round.

**oooOOOOooo**

"And then, the guy melted into a disgusting pile of ooze on the floor!" exclaimed Darcy with an excited flourish. "It was the most revolting thing I've ever seen." She grinned. "It was so cool! This super hero thing kicks ass!"

Jane was listening to her friend's wild tale with a mixture of horror and disgust. When Jane had asked her friend to return to the Avengers' Tower to retrieve some personal items for her, she hadn't expected this. The reporters were following her every move, so it was easier for Darcy to move about unnoticed. But now Jane felt horrible that she'd sent her closest friend into such a life threatening situation. Jane couldn't believe Darcy wasn't rocking back and forth in the corner after an ordeal like that. Then again, this was Darcy. When Darcy had turned up at the hotel she and Thor were staying at, Jane hadn't been prepared for the story she had to tell.

Thor was looking at the animated little woman with real concern. "And you are unharmed, Darcy Lewis? This monstrosity did not hurt you?"

"He oozed on me which was all kinds of disgusting and will require me having an eight hour bath, but no, Mr. Blobby didn't hurt me."

Jane stepped closer. "What's that on your neck?"

Darcy scrubbed at her neck. "What? He was grabbing me by my throat. Is there something there? A bruise, what?"

Jane reached out a hesitant hand and pulled on the disc of material which was partially embedded in Darcy's skin. They both peered at it. "Is-is that-?" stammered Jane.

"A fingernail," declared Darcy, looking pretty excited at the thought. "Cool."

Jane made a distressed noise and immediately dropped the vile thing, scrubbing her hands on her pants' leg.

"Don't lose it!" ordered Darcy, quickly dropping to her knees to retrieve the fingernail.

"You're not keeping it!" declared Jane determinedly.

"You're not the boss of me!"

"It's disgusting!" protested Jane.

"It's a conversation starter," argued Darcy as she found the nail and held it up triumphantly. "Found it!"

"Thor, tell her she can't keep it," Jane ordered him.

"It is not uncommon for a warrior to keep something of his conquest to remember their victory by," reasoned Thor.

Darcy nodded approvingly. "You see, Thor's on my side." She grinned at him. "Out of all the bearded weirdos in a cape I've picked up in my life, you're my favourite, Thor. You know that, right?"

Jane shook her head, giving up. "Fine, keep the stupid thing. I just don't want to see it ever again."

"You should just be pleased it's not an ear or something," Darcy informed her. "An ear would have been the coolest."

Jane rolled her eyes. "There are times I really worry about you."

"Hey, I was raised in Brooklyn," returned Darcy easily. "We found body parts every other day on the street. I was a nose and an elbow away from making myself a real boy by the time I was sixteen." Her lips quirked. "But by then I'd found out there were easier ways to get boys."

"You're impossible," declared Jane but couldn't help but smile.

"It is very late, Darcy," said Thor solicitously. "You must stay the rest of the night with us. It is too late for you to travel the streets alone."

Darcy wrinkled her nose and looked between them. "As appealing as it is might be to stay and listen to you guys have noisy sex, I think I'll take my chances with the mean streets."

Jane blushed. "We don't have noisy sex," she huffed.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Please, I was there the other night with the two of you." She looked at Jane. "You sounded like a duck in a blender." Darcy did her best imitation. "Hooonnnkkk... wheee... hhhoonk... whheeee-"

Jane slapped her arm and looked at her in horror. "I don't honk and either do ducks!"

Darcy was unfazed. "Sorry, my bad, I guess you're a goose in a blender."

Jane felt like her face was glowing bright red and cast an embarrassed look at Thor and then back at her. "Darcy!"

"Hey," said Darcy casually unapologetic, "the guy was there, he knows what you sound like."

"I do not know this goose animal, but your love making sounds are most delightful to me," said Thor, obviously trying to be helpful.

"Ohh!" cried Jane, beyond mortified. She pulled her sweater up so she could pull her head inside to hide her face from them both.

"Uh oh," noted Darcy, "she's turtled, the first defence of the uptight middle classes. I guess that's my cue to leave. I'll see you both in the morning, unless you haven't managed to coax her out of that sweater by then, Thor."

"Good night, Darcy Lewis," Jane heard Thor say. "We are glad you are unharmed."

"I'm not!" called out Jane defiantly.

"Big talk from a woman with her head inside a sweater," shot back Darcy and then there was the sound of a door opening and closing.

Thor's gentle voice was coming from in front of her. "Jane Foster, would you please allow me to see your beauteous face once more."

"No," said Jane emotionally, "I'm never coming out again." The low rumble of Thor's laughter made Jane pout but she still refused to show her face again. She couldn't. This went beyond embarrassment.

"Do you not fear you will bump into many things?" asked Thor in amusement.

"I'll get a seeing eye dog," said Jane rebelliously. "It'll be fine."

"Jane," said Thor softly and then she could feel him pulling gently on her sweater.

Jane resisted for a moment but then her head was popping back out the neck hole of her sweater. She still refused to meet his gaze though.

Thor reached out with a finger to her chin and directed her eyes to his. "Jane Foster, what is wrong, why do you hide from me?"

Fresh blush heated her cheeks. "I honk," she wailed, bottom lip trembling.

"The sounds which leave your lips when we make love are wondrous to my ears," said Thor huskily. "You delight me in a way no woman ever has, Jane." He cupped her head with his large hands and lovingly stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "It gives me great joy to know that I might be able to return that pleasure to you in whatever way I can."

Jane bit her bottom lip. This man really was too good to be true. "Really?"

"Yes," said Thor, his voice low, "there is nothing you do that does not thrill me to the core, Jane Foster. I can only dream about being so embedded in your soul, as you are in mine. Every moment we spend together draws me more completely under your spell. I am yours to do with as you wish, Jane. I only exist to marvel at your every look and word to me."

Jane's head was spinning from Thor's intoxicating words and suddenly she didn't care if she honked the whole hotel down, she couldn't not be kissing him right then. Grabbing the front of his shirt, Jane pulled Thor into a deep kiss, wrapping her tiny frame around his much larger one. Thor made a pleased growling sound and then he was sweeping Jane off her feet. He looked down at her as he held her in his arms. "Come to bed, my beautiful girl," he said throatily, "I wish to hear my little bird sing."

Jane buried her head in his neck and sighed blissfully, more than happy to grant Thor his wish.


	76. Chapter 76

**A/N****: The penultimate chapter, guys. Can you believe it? :D **

**I still have one more big scene to write in the next chapter, and then it's all just coasting into the epilogue. Yay! **

**Glad folks enjoyed Darcy in the last chapter, because there is more of her in this one and the last one. It's too much fun writing for her not to let her out to play. ;) **

**And thank you as always to all of my lovely commentors. You guys rock. XXX**

**Chapter Seventy-Six**

Pepper slowly woke from her dreamless sleep. Her eyes flickered open as she struggled to remember where she was and all that had happened to her. The memories came and she battled to put them in some kind of order. A figure moved to her left and she blinked at him with bleary eyes, still trying to focus. "Tony?"

Clint moved into view and smiled down at her as he sat on the side of her bed. "No, Pep, it's just me, sorry."

Pepper smiled, glad to see him. "Clint," she said huskily, "how are you?" More memories came back to her. Pepper's brow furrowed. "How is Natasha?"

"Resting comfortably, or so the doctors tell me." He sighed. "We just have to wait for her to wake up now."

Pepper felt a surge of compassion for the other man, seeing how hard it was for him. As someone who'd worried over Tony's bedside more than once, she had a special empathy for him. "It gets better, you know."

"Does it?" asked Clint, not looking so sure. "I knew it'd be hard, but I've never felt this helpless before in my life. I hate it. I want to do something, anything to help Natasha, but there is nothing I can do."

"Loving a person is something you can do, and you don't need them to be awake for that," she said quietly.

He gave a lop-sided smile. "Am I that transparent?"

"Let's just say I've had a lot of experience at loving someone from afar," said Pepper with a wry smile.

"Things are more complicated with Natasha and me," said Clint hesitantly.

"I don't think that is possible," said Pepper dryly, "but every couple is their own brand of complicated. But if you're lucky enough to love the right person and be loved back by them, then your love can be bigger than any complications." Pepper reached out and laid her hand on top of Clint's. He looked surprised, but didn't pull his hand away. She smiled at him. "All relationships are a leap of faith, Clint," said Pepper softly. "There are no guarantees with anything in this life other than one day it's going to be over. The scariest leaps are the ones which make you feel most alive and are always the most worth it, no matter what happens."

Clint gave a wry smile. "As someone who recently leapt off a cliff, I think I know what you're saying, Pepper."

"Of course you have," said Pepper with dry amusement. "Well, you're ready for love then, because when you're in love, that feeling of falling never stops."

"Then I guess this must be love then," said Clint huskily.

Pepper squeezed his hand tightly. "Clint, Natasha's going to come through this. You know that, don't you?"

"I do," he said quietly. "I just wish she was awake already. This waiting is killing me."

"Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," she reminded him gently. Pepper wrinkled her nose. "I know that's cliché, but it happens to be true. There are times when it feels like loving Tony is going to be the end of me, but I always come out the other side so much more than I was before."

Clint gave her an admiring look. "Tony is very lucky to have you."

"And Natasha is very lucky to have you," Pepper countered.

"I hope she'll feel that way when she wakes up."

"She will."

"How do you know?"

Pepper gave him a little wink. "Call it woman's intuition."

Clint laughed. "Well, I never like to argue with that."

"Smart man." Suddenly Pepper heard Tony's voice down the corridor. "That's Tony," she said quickly. "He'll be devastated to think I woke up without him here." She sent Clint a conspiratorial look.

Clint smiled and winked at her. "Got you."

He stood up and Pepper quickly feigned sleep again. She heard Tony's footsteps enter her room.

"How is she? Has she woken up?"

"Nope, the beauty is still sleeping. I guess she was waiting for her prince."

Pepper's lips twitched, fighting a smile at how easily Clint carried on the charade.

"I'm going back to sit with Natasha."

"Okay, thanks for standing in for me."

"Of course."

"I'll be round to see Natasha soon."

"Okay."

There was the sound of Clint leaving and then Pepper heard Tony walk round to the side of her bed and let her eyes flutter open. "Tony?"

"I'm here, Pepper," said Tony hastily, taking her hand. "I'm here."

Pepper opened her eyes and looked up at him, feeling that same glow of love and comfort she always did at the first sight of him for the day. "Hi," she whispered.

Tony looked suddenly emotional. "Hi," he returned unevenly. Tony bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before straightening up again. "How are you feeling?"

Pepper pondered that question for a moment. "A little light-headed and thirsty, really, really thirsty."

Tony jumped up and went to pour her a glass of water. "How's the pain?"

Pepper moved a little in bed, experimenting. "Not too bad. I guess I'm still drugged up pretty good." She sighed and put a self-conscious hand to her hair. "I must look a mess."

"You look utterly gorgeous," Tony corrected her as he handed her the glass of water. "I can't take my eyes off you."

"People have the same problem with a train wreck," she said mockingly, taking a sip of her water. It tasted so good.

"Maybe if that train was the train of love going through the love tunnel and crashed into another train of gorgeousness going the other way."

Pepper looked over the top of her glass at him. "What?"

Tony screwed up his face as he came to sit on the side of her bed. "In my head that was sweet and romantic." He scratched his cheek. "It's possible it lost something on the journey to my mouth."

Pepper put down her glass of water and reached for his hand. "You look tired," she said sympathetically. "Tell me you at least got some sleep last night."

"You know me, Pep," said Tony brightly. "I can go days without sleep."

"I've always been meaning to tell you this," she said gently, "but when you do that, you're a bit rubbish by the end of it."

Tony pouted. "Rubbish?"

"You need to get some sleep," she chastised him lovingly.

"I will, as soon as I get things sorted over at the Tower."

"No," said Pepper firmly, "that can wait."

"You're very bossy." A mischievous smile came to Tony's lips. "Good thing I find that a huge turn on in my women."

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "Women?"

"Woman," Tony corrected himself hastily. "Woman. There is only one woman in my life." He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"You don't smell like butt anymore," she murmured against his lips, smiling.

"Is that a problem?" he teased her.

"No," she teased him back, "it's nice being able to breathe around you again. I was getting dizzy taking that one breath."

"You always make me dizzy," declared Tony, moving in for another kiss.

The sound of someone clearing their throat noisily came from the doorway. Pepper broke the kiss to see Bruce standing in the doorway. "Sorry," he apologised, "am I interrupting?"

"Yes," grumbled Tony, "go away."

"Tony," Pepper chided him. "Of course you're not interrupting Bruce, come in."

"Or go away," countered Tony, "the choice is yours."

"Ignore him," said Pepper.

"Always do," said Bruce and stepped into the room. "I've got a few people who want to say hi as well, Pep. Is that alright?"

Pepper looked past Bruce to see Steve, Thor, Jane and a short, dark-haired woman she didn't recognise. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, please, I'd love to see everyone."

"We didn't want to overwhelm you," said Steve as he walked into the room and smiled down at her.

"We just wanted to let you know we're all thinking of you," interjected Jane.

Thor put his arm around Jane's shoulder. "Verily, we wished to see with our own eyes that you are much recovered, Pepper Potts. And to thank you for saving all of our lives."

"I did what anyone would have done," said Pepper modestly.

"I do not believe that to be true," Thor disagreed. "Beneath your breast beats the heart of a true warrior."

Tony jabbed a finger at him. "Hey, enough breast talk, Goldilocks. Keep your admiration above the neck."

Thor looked puzzled. "I meant no disrespect, Tony Stark, merely that your maiden is a force to be reckoned with and that I am glad she is on our side."

"I know that, Thor," said Pepper. "Ignore Blinky."

Thor nodded knowingly. "Ah, t'is Blinky. I understand."

Tony sent Pepper an exasperated look. "I can't believe you told everyone about Blinky."

"Not everyone," piped up the dark-haired young woman. "What gives?"

"Blinky is Tony's crazy, jealous alter-ego when it comes to Pepper," explained Bruce.

"Got it." The woman nodded. "Makes sense you'd have more than one person running loose in that head of yours."

Pepper tilted her head and regarded her curiously. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

The woman grinned. "I'm Darcy. Friend of Jane, and the person who welcomed Thor to earth by hitting him with a car."

"I have had less painful introductions to worlds," said Thor dryly.

Darcy waved a dismissive hand at him. "You're fine. Don't go all drama queen on me now."

"It makes me glad we just met in the hallway," said Bruce in amusement.

Darcy was looking at Bruce with interest. "Someone got lucky tonight," she announced unexpectedly.

Bruce looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"I know a post-sex look when I see it." She cast a look over at Jane, lips twitching. "Isn't that right, Mother Goose?"

"I hate you," said Jane flatly.

Darcy just laughed.

"Betty was here," Bruce explained, looking a little awkward.

"Oh," said Pepper in delight, "Bruce, that's wonderful."

He smiled. "Yeah, it was."

"Told you," said Darcy knowingly.

"So, when is Betty moving in with us?" asked Tony. "Cause the Tower is going to need a lot of work before I know for sure it's safe. At least a week of 24 hour days."

"Betty isn't staying," said Bruce with a tinge of sadness. "At least, not yet. I've got a lot of work to do with the other guy but when I'm happy I've got some real kind of control-"

"You mean like I said all along," Tony interrupted him. "You're agreeing that the Hulk can be an asset if you just work with him rather than against."

"I'm not saying you were right-"

"Even though I was."

"Are you going to be annoying about this?"

Steve snorted. "Like you even have to ask, Bruce."

Darcy was now eyeing Steve off, clearly not interested in their conversation. "Looks to me like someone else has been fighting off the ladies with a stick." Her finger whipped out and swiped along Steve's chin before he could stop her, picking up a streak of red lipstick which was on his chin. Darcy sniffed at it. "Cherry flavoured," she surmised and waggled her eyebrows at him. "So, where's your cherry pie now, Cap?"

Steve blushed as he scrubbed furiously at his chin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"There is either a woman or you're the messiest cross-dresser ever to crack open the old cosmetic bag." Darcy put her hands on her hips and feigned a disgusted look at them all. "What is wrong with you people? Suddenly you're in a hospital and all you can think about is getting some. That's weird and sick." She grinned. "I'm _so_ going to fit right in here."

Pepper fought a smile at the young woman's unabashed enthusiasm. She was indeed going to be an interesting addition to the group's dynamic.

Darcy looked Steve over and took in the way he was still pink-faced. "Wow, so Captain America is a blusher, interesting."

"I'm not blushing," said Steve stiffly. "I'm pink from the magma flow."

"You mean the magma flow you were nowhere near?" Tony quizzed him.

Darcy was still staring at Steve. "Boobs," she declared.

Steve's blush deepened even more. "Wh-what?"

"Nipples," continued on Darcy, clearly enjoying how Steve was getting. "Okay," she announced, "I have a new favourite game."

Tony looked back at Pepper, a kid on Christmas day expression on his face. "And FYI, I have a new favourite person."

"You don't say," said Pepper in wry amusement.

Steve was side-eyeing Darcy warily. "Of course he's going to love the female version of himself," he grumbled.

"Hey," said Darcy sharply, "if anything, Scarecrow is the male version of me."

"Scarecrow?" questioned Pepper, looking between them with interest.

"Something really cool happened in your apartment," said Darcy animatedly. "And, oh yeah, you're going to need new carpet."

"It's nothing important," said Tony hastily. "We'll talk about it when you're feeling a little stronger, Pepper."

"If it's nothing important, why do we have to wait until I'm stronger?" reasoned Pepper.

"She's got you on that one," piped up Darcy.

Tony frowned at her. "You're not helping."

"Helping wasn't part of my mission statement," she shot back.

"I saved your life," Tony pointed out.

"It was my water."

"It was my idea."

"But without my water, what was your back up planning, spitting on him?"

Pepper made a worried face. "What are you two talking about?" She held up a hand. "Wait, is everyone safe and unhurt?"

"Yes," said Tony quickly, "absolutely."

She gave a tired smile. "Good, then you can tell me what happened another day."

"Pepper could do with some rest," interjected Bruce. "I think she's had enough visitors for one day." He walked over and kissed her forehead. "It's good to see you, Pepper. Call me if you need a break from this guy."

"Hey," said Tony with feigned indignation.

Steve was smiling as he walked up to her and kissed her cheek. "And you can call me if you get sick of Bruce."

"That's pretty unlikely," deadpanned Bruce. "I'm a really interesting guy. Two interesting guys actually."

"A Hulk joke," said Tony, looking pleased, "that's a thawing in the relationship between you and your inner giant, B. I like it."

"We're not exchanging friendship bracelets yet," admitted Bruce, "but let's just say we've handed over each other's cell phone numbers."

Jane smiled as she walked over and gave Pepper's arm a squeeze. "And if you need more female type company, Darcy and I are here for you."

Tony had other ideas. "Yes to you, Jane, but that's a big no to Darcy spending any alone time with Pepper."

Darcy's eyebrow shot up. "Excuse _me_?"

"And excuse me too," agreed Pepper, giving Tony a pointed look. "I think I'll make my own calls on who I befriend, thank you very much, Tony Stark."

"And besides," interjected Darcy, "I thought I was on your favourite person list."

"You are." He looked back at Pepper. "And I also know you happen to be extremely attracted to loud-mouthed, over-sexed, obnoxious, overly-confident smart asses, Pepper." He cast Darcy a wary look. "I'm not taking any chances."

Darcy nodded knowingly. "That's probably a smart move, Scarecrow. I am pretty damn irresistible when I want to be."

Pepper couldn't help but give a little giggle and immediately regretted it as her wound complained bitterly. "Oh," she grimaced laughingly, "please don't make me laugh."

"Okay, everyone out," Tony ordered them. "Pepper needs some quiet time."

"Thank you for coming," she said with a smile which included them all. "I'm really glad to know you're all safe and sound."

"You too, Pep," returned Steve. "Feel better."

They all murmured their goodbyes and then there was just Tony left in the room.

He blew out a breath. "I thought they'd never leave." Tony looked down at her and smiled warmly. "Alone at last."

All the activity had exhausted Pepper more than she'd expected. "Then we should take advantage of it." She held out a hand to him. "Come here, Tony." He walked over to her and took her hand. "Come and lie down with me," she coaxed him. "You look exhausted."

Tony half-smiled. "Why are you always trying to get me into bed, Potts?"

Pepper just smiled. "You've never complained before."

"What can I say, I'm so your love slave." Tony very carefully lay down on the bed beside her, making sure not to bump her. He stretched out beside Pepper and laid his head on the pillow.

"Hi," said Pepper huskily.

"Hi," returned Tony, looking at her lovingly. He rested his hand on her midriff, just below her breasts, making sure to keep clear of her bandaged wound. Tony was staring at her with those liquid brown eyes of his. "I don't think I've told you how much I adore you today."

Pepper felt suddenly emotional, her eyes pricking with tears. "Still?" she asked unevenly.

"Always," declared Tony, his expression intent as he gently stroked her midriff. "You're never not in my thoughts, Pepper Potts. You're always there, tucked away in the corner of my brain, in the centre of my heart." He looked emotional too. "I'm so crazy for you, beautiful girl. There are some days I just can't stand it." Tony's face clouded over. "I'm so sorry that loving me has cost you so much."

A tear streaked down Pepper's face as she lifted a hand to stroke Tony's cheek. "Did I ever tell you what my favourite book is?"

"No, but I know it's Wuthering Heights."

Pepper gave him a surprised look. "How did you know that?"

"You read it at least twice a year." Tony gave a lop-sided smile. "You see, I'm not completely oblivious."

"I know you're not," said Pepper sincerely. "There's this line in the book that every time I'd get to I couldn't help but think of you." She took in an unsteady breath and quoted the line. "If you ever looked at me once with what I know is in you, I would be your slave," Pepper whispered. She looked at Tony and felt her heart turn over with the way he was holding her gaze now. "There is this blinding light inside of you, Tony, this brilliance that draws people in but you've always tried to hide it away." Her voice wobbled. "That night on the roof, you looked at me with that blinding light in your eyes and I've never wanted to be anywhere but where you are since."

"Pepper." Tony's voice cracked over her name.

Pepper moved her face closer, so that they were nose to nose. "Loving you is the best thing I've ever done in this world. I am never going to regret it, Tony Stark. You're so stuck with me."

"There is no me without you," he whispered back, voice strained with emotion. "I lost track years ago where I finish and you start. You're so necessary to me, Pepper. I can only make sense of myself when I see me through your eyes. Without you, I don't have any reason, no point in being." A tear trickled down his cheek and Pepper wiped it away. "You can't ever leave me, Pepper," said Tony raggedly. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me. I'd never survive losing you."

"I know," she said softly. Pepper kissed the tip of his nose. "Go to sleep, Tony. Everything is going to be okay."

He blew out a long, tired breath. "I know, because you're in my arms again."

Pepper stroked his arm. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

**oooOOOOooo**

The poorly lit bar was filled with stale smoke and grim despair. The few patrons were hunched over their beers, lost in their own dark thoughts. The TV above the bar blared away, delivering its news to the disenchanted masses. The man glanced up from his warm beer in the grubby glass, as CNN ran yet more coverage of the Los Alamos show down.

"-and the clean up continues after the close call experienced here at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Millions of American's lives were at stake when a malignant force, headed by Justin Hammer, the onetime head of Hammer Industries and his team, dubbed the Defenders, sort to wrangle political control of this country, through any means necessary. Details are still unfolding in this sinister plot which would have potentially seen millions of deaths and a reshaping of America's coastline itself. The ramifications would have been nearly incalculable and if it wasn't for the bravery and determination of the Avengers, who knows what kind of world America would be waking to this morning-"

The guy beside him snorted. "It's all spin," he said in disgust. "I saw Captain America on my TV yesterday telling me to kiss his ass or die. Now, we've got the President telling us that it was fake. I say there is no smoke without fire. Those Avengers are dirty."

The man's hand tightened on his glass as he listened to the drunk pontificate and hand out his pearls of wisdom to a roomful of people who didn't care.

"Those Avengers have their own agenda going on. No one does anything for nothing in this world, those guys aren't any different. They'll be looking for their pound of flesh soon enough."

The man slammed his glass down on the bar, ignoring the way flat beer slopped over the sides. "The Avengers are real heroes," he snarled. "They risk their lives every day for guys like you. Guys who don't matter and who never will. They don't do it because they're looking for something, they do it because it's the right thing to do."

"What are you?" the drunk sneered back at him. "The president of their fan club?"

"I'm a guy who knows what the real thing looks like," he bit out. The man caught his reflection in the smudged mirror behind the bar. "And what it doesn't," he continued roughly. A sudden flood of self-loathing had him abruptly standing up, and walking towards the door on vaguely unsteady legs. He pushed on the door and stepped out into the blaring Mexican midday sun.

Abner Jenkins shook his head and blinked against the burning light, his eyes adjusting from the dinginess of the bar he'd stumbled into at some point last night. What had happened at Los Alamos kept playing over and over in his head. Captain America could so easily have let him drop to his death. It was what he'd deserved but the man had risked his own life to save his enemy's. Abner had been so sure that he was due fame and fortune but in that moment he'd seen those things for what they were, nothing. If you weren't someone who could look yourself in the mirror and feel proud, then nothing else was going to replace that in your life. It was a lesson he didn't intend to waste. Abner turned to his left and started off down the street. He didn't know where he was heading, just that he wasn't going back to the man he used to be. It was a new day in Mexico, and it was a new day for Abner Jenkins, and he wasn't going to waste one more minute chasing the things that didn't matter. His future was uncertain, but his resolve to be a better man, a man who might be one day worthy of belonging in a team like the Avengers, wasn't.

**A/N****: Sorry if that last bit seemed random, but I always intended for the Beetle to have a little story arc in this fic. The Defenders didn't get much of a story in the end, but I did want to stay true to Beetle's history and put him on the path to becoming the hero he did in the comics. :D **


	77. Chapter 77

**A/N****: And here we are, my dearest readers, the final official chapter of this saga. **

**I don't want to go all 'Oscars' speech' on you, but I do feel like I have all of you to thank for this fic. It was your enthusiasm and support which got this fic written, as well as the wonderful characters created by Stan Lee and of course, the talents of the actors who brought the characters to life on the screen. You're all just so inspiring. :D **

**Okay, so that did sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, sorry. . **

**But I really did want to say thank you to all of my readers and those wonderful reviewers who made this so much fun for me. I tried to reply to as many as you as I could and wished I could with the guest reviewers. Thank you for all of your amazing words of support and encouragement. **

**I'll stop there because I feel like I could fill up the chapter just trying to express my gratitude to you all. **

**This chapter has the story going out more on whimper than a bang. I knew that'd be the case when I didn't want to end it just after the showdown finale. I hope it's not too much of a letdown for you. I finally got to NaCl and I'm not sure if it's enough for their fans, but I'd written myself into a bit of a corner with how their first meeting was going to go. **

**Also, I'm not sure about a sequel to this story right now but I have left myself a lot of opportunities to explore this story further. The Olivia/Steve thing, the Darcy's fingernail trophy, is Hammer really dead, is Ghost? Set up a further story with Pepperony as well in this chapter and of course, we have to find out how things go with Lewis and Greg's baby. ;) **

**Basically what I'm trying to say is that you might want to follow this story or me, in case I start to add to the foundations I've laid down here. It's up to you, of course, but chances are it'll happen. And then, after IM3 comes out in less than 6 months, you can bet I'll be wanting to do some writing then... unless they break my heart, and then I'll be curled up in the foetal position somewhere. . **

**Anyways, let's get this chapter over and done with and then I'll be posting the epilogue in a day or two. **

**For one last time, I hope you have fun with it... :D **

**Chapter Seventy-Seven **

Clint's heart was pounding as he ran along the hospital corridors, dodging staff and patients alike. He'd heard a page over the loud speaker to Natasha's room and just panicked. It had been four days since her surgery and she still hadn't woken up. Each of the Avengers had taken turns to be by her side at all times. Clint would have stayed the whole time, only he'd been outnumbered by the others and ordered to take a break. It was finally Bruce with his calm reason that made Clint leave the hospital for a bit. Bruce had said Clint was going to be no use to Natasha if he was an exhausted mess when she did wake up. That had been hard to argue with, so, in the end, Clint had relented. Now he was regretting it. There was no logic to it, but Clint couldn't help but feel that if he was near Natasha, nothing could happen to her. After all of his promises to her not to leave her side, now something had happened to her. He burst into Natasha's room to find her bed surrounded by a cloud of doctors and nurses. A male nurse abruptly grabbed him and stopped Clint from going any closer. "What is it?" Clint cried out anxiously. "What's happening?"

"It's alright," the male nurse holding him back.

A hand was on his shoulder. "Clint, calm down, it's going to be okay." Bruce's reassuring voice was beside him.

Clint spun round and turned to face him. "What's happened?" He knew this was Bruce's shift to sit with Natasha.

Bruce gave a little smile. "Natasha is waking up," he said huskily.

Clint's eyes went wide and he looked back at the bed. "Are you sure?"

Bruce was pulling on his arm. "Let's give the medical staff room to do what they need to do."

Clint reluctantly let Bruce lead him out of Natasha's room. They stood outside the ICU in the hallway and Clint fired questions at him. "What happened? Did she talk to you? When-"

Bruce held up his hand. "I was sitting with Natasha and reading to her from the newspaper and her hand moved, the next thing her eyes were opening and doctors and nurses were everywhere. "

"Did she say anything?" asked Clint anxiously. "Did she see you?"

"No and I don't know. We just have to wait, Clint, but her waking up is a good sign. We're going to know how much damage was done when removing the tumour."

Clint closed his eyes, stomach tightening with nerves.

"Don't worry," said Bruce reassuringly, "Natasha Romanoff is relentless. Whatever she is waking up to, she is not going to let it beat her."

"I know," Clint rasped, "but it's going to be really hard for her to accept any kind of limitations."

Bruce nodded. "She's going to be cranky for a while, no doubt about it." He half-smiled. "At least I've got a huge green giant lurking inside of me." Bruce looked him over. "I'd recommend you start wearing a few more layers while we get Natasha back on her feet. I'm not envisaging a cranky Black Widow being a safe thing to be around."

Clint couldn't help but smile, knowing Bruce was right. Natasha didn't sport that red hair for nothing. She played it cool, but Clint knew there was a fire burning inside of her that could burn just as easily as warm.

Bruce nodded behind him. "The doctor."

Clint turned around to see Natasha's doctor walking towards them. He was smiling, which had to be a good sign, right? "How is she?"

"We've performed some basic neurological testing and I'm very pleased with the outcome," said the doctor, still smiling.

"Natasha going to be okay?" asked Clint quickly, heart pounding painfully in his chest.

"She's responding well to questions and the neurological testing we've done so far s very promising. Natasha is experiencing some weakness down her left hand side and some slowing of the reflexes, but that wasn't unexpected. She isn't up to talking yet, but has indicated understanding of questions we've asked. Her memory seems intact and all in all, I'm very pleased, as I've said. There are further tests which have to be run, but the fact that she's woken up as well as she has, that's a huge plus."

Clint's shoulders sagged as he finally let go some of the tension he'd been carrying around basically ever since Natasha had told him about her diagnosis.

Bruce's hand was on Clint's back in a comforting way. "Are we able to see her?"

"Natasha is exhausted right now. We've got a few more tests to run and then she really needs to rest. Come back in a couple of hours but don't expect too much."

Clint scowled, really not wanting to leave her again. "I'll wait."

"I'm going to call the others," offered up Bruce. "They're going to want to hear the good news."

Clint nodded, eyes on the door which led back to Natasha's room. "I'm going to stay here." She was awake. It was everything he'd hoped for but there were still so many unsaid things between them. Clint needed to say everything he'd been holding inside him for too long. He just had to hope that Natasha was willing to take a chance of them, like he was.

**oooOOOOooo**

Two days later:

Steve glanced at his watch and looked over at Bruce. "When did Tony say he was going to be back with Pepper from the hospital?"

Bruce looked up from his newspaper and gave a little shrug. "Around eleven, I thought."

"Hospital paperwork takes forever," announced Darcy as she lounged next to Bruce. "I don't know why. It's just one of those things, like seeing Big Foot on the subway when you don't have a camera."

Bruce and Steve exchanged looks.

"What, that's a thing," she informed them. "I saw a guy there the other day that if he wasn't Big Foot, he was his brother."

Bruce half-smiled and went back to his paper. They'd moved back into the Avengers' Tower the day before and Darcy had made herself very much at home. While she wasn't living in, what she liked to call, their clubhouse, she was still around a lot. Bruce had to say he didn't mind. Darcy was full of energy and interesting stories, only half of which he believed, or, wanted to believe, anyway.

"How long do you think until the boss opens up the rest of the Tower?" she quizzed them. "I heard this place has a pool."

"It has two," Bruce informed her. "And Tony's only cleared the floors our apartment is on, this main living area and his lab so far. All other areas are off limits."

Darcy pouted. "Bummer."

"Not as big a bummer as falling through a floor or being overtaken by nano-bots," observed Bruce dryly.

Thor and Jane walked into the living room together and Darcy made a loud noise. "Finally," she exclaimed. "What took you two so long? We're going to be late for the movie."

"You're going to see a movie?" asked Steve. "Which one?"

Thor shook his head. "I do not know, Steve Rogers."

"It's movie roulette," Darcy explained. "None of us know."

Steve gave her a confused look. "Movie roulette?"

Jane jumped in. "Darcy and I always argue about the movies we want to see, so we ended up inventing movie roulette. We just go to the paper, close our eyes and randomly pick out a movie." She wrinkled her nose prettily. "It has mixed results."

"The last one we saw was a French porno," volunteered Darcy freely.

Steve looked at her in surprise, caught off guard. _Women didn't watch that kind of thing, did they?_

"It wasn't a porno," said Jane hastily, looking embarrassed.

"If it has more than one gratuitous penis shot per ten frames, then it's a porno," said Darcy firmly. "I've seen enough of them to know."

_Apparently they did._ Steve tried not to look as shocked as he felt.

"It was an art house movie," Jane tried to explain. "It was about a French shoemaker-"

"And his penis," finished Darcy blithely.

"We did see a lot of it," Jane admitted reluctantly.

Darcy grinned. "I'm pretty sure the thing had its own trailer."

Thor looked vaguely troubled. "I do not wish to watch a penis show."

"I had a boyfriend once who used to put on a penis show," offered up Darcy. "He did tricks. Well, just the one, really – shadow puppetry." Her forehead wrinkled. "And now that I think about it, after he did an elephant and an ant eater, he was pretty much out of material."

Steve went back to his sandwich, feeling his cheeks heat.

"I'm not embarrassing you, am I, Cap?" asked Darcy cheekily.

"No," said Steve, not looking up, and knowing that was exactly what she wanted to do.

"Guess I'll have to try harder then."

They'd already spoken more about pornography and penises in a five minute conversation then Steve had his whole life. He didn't want to think what Darcy would be talking about if she was planning on upping the ante.

"Play our roulette game, maidens," said Thor, "and then we will away."

Jane was smiling at him as she looked over his dress pants and shirt. "You look very handsome in your new clothes, Thor."

"I miss the cape," said Darcy.

Bruce tilted his head. "Weirdly enough, so do I."

"It balances out the hair."

Bruce nodded. "I think that's it."

Thor looked down at what he was wearing, seemingly not offended by their observations. "Your attire is somewhat strange, but I grow accustomed to it. I am glad my choices meet with your approval, Jane Foster. I was uncertain if this attire would make all the bitches hot for my britches or not."

Jane's eyes went wide. "Thor!" she gasped.

Bruce made a snorting sound of amusement and Steve couldn't help but look at Thor in horror.

Thor looked at her blankly. "Jane Foster?"

Jane's lips thinned as she looked over at Darcy, who was looking very innocent now. "Darcy!"

Darcy opened her eyes up wide. "What? That's a legitimate concern you should be having. Look at the guy."

"I have said something wrong?" asked Thor slowly.

"No, Thor, Darcy has said something wrong," said Jane disapprovingly, rightly guessing the other woman had set up Thor to use that expression. "You can't call women bitches."

Thor looked confused. "Is it not a term of endearment?"

"It is in my neighbourhood," said Darcy wryly.

"It's not a nice name to call a woman," offered up Steve, trying to help.

Thor scowled. "I did not know this."

Darcy smirked. "That's what makes it so funny."

"You're evil," Steve declared, shaking his head as he looked at her.

"I'm not evil, I'm misunderstood," she protested and then smirked. "Nah, I'm evil."

Tony suddenly burst into the room, already talking and looking a little stressed. "Okay, Pepper is on the way up. Everyone, act normal."

Steve shook his head and gave a wry smile. "You do realise, Tony, that for most people, it isn't an act."

Tony threw him an annoyed look. "Says the guy with a stalk of celery pinned to his chest."

Steve looked down at the celery and back at Tony. "It's Liberty Day," he reminded Tony. "People wear the celery to remember the signing of the Google Treaty which brought freedom to-." Steve trailed off as he saw the way Tony was looking at him. He looked at Bruce, whose lips were twitching and then over at Darcy who had that wide-eyed, innocent look happening again. "Damn it, Darcy!" he growled, pulling the celery off his chest and glaring at her.

Darcy burst into laughter. "I'm sorry," she chortled, "but you just make it too damn easy. You can't hand me a loaded gun and not expect me to shoot people with it."

"Message to self, don't ever hand Darcy a loaded gun," said Bruce wryly. "Before you accept anything at face value from this little miss, I recommend you getting it confirmed from an independent source, Steve."

"I'm getting that," grumbled Steve.

Tony made an impatient sound. "Back on point, guys." He jabbed a finger at Darcy. "You, funny, but not now, this is serious."

"Pepper coming home isn't serious," pointed out Darcy. "It's great. Just unclench, Scarecrow."

"She's still very delicate," argued Tony, looking agitated. "I don't want her to be stressed in anyway."

Bruce looked him over, taking the way Tony was almost buzzing with anxious energy. "Well, being with you must be like lying near a tranquil stream," he noted mockingly. "Why don't you take your own advice and just relax and act normal."

Pepper's voice came from behind them. "Bruce is right, Tony, just try and calm down."

Tony turned around, a big smile on his face. "I am calm." He moved to take her arm as Pepper moved a little gingerly into the room.

"If you were so calm, why did you get out of the car before I'd stopped?" asked Happy, bringing up the rear.

"I didn't notice we were still moving," said Tony in annoyance.

"Yeah," said Happy mockingly, "it's so hard to tell the difference between a moving and stationary car. I'm surprised that doesn't happen to more people."

Jane was smiling at Pepper. "How are you feeling, Pepper?"

"Glad to get out of that hospital," she replied in relief. Pepper looked around. "And very glad to be home."

"You look much recovered, Pepper Potts," said Thor, smiling at her.

"I'm getting there," she agreed. "I just have to take it easy for a little while, doctor's orders."

"You took longer to get here than we thought," Steve noted. "Was everything okay at the hospital?"

"I wanted to check in on Natasha," said Pepper. "Clint said she's been in and out of consciousness since she first woke up."

Steve nodded. "I've been there when she's come out of it, but Natasha doesn't seem that aware of what is going on. The doctors say that's to be expected." He frowned, wanting to believe the doctors when they said she was going to get better. It was hard having a fallen comrade and not being able to do anything to help them.

Tony took Pepper's arm. "Okay, I think that is enough meet and greet time. You need to get some rest, Pep."

"I've been resting for days, Tony," she groaned.

Tony was dogged in his determination. "You had major surgery, you need to not take any risks and as your fiancé I-"

Steve made a surprised face at that piece of information and snuck a glance at everyone else to see if they knew but apparently not, judging by their expressions.

Pepper's eyebrow shot up. "Excuse me?"

"We're engaged," Tony reminded her. "So that makes me your fiancé."

Pepper was looking at him like he'd gone crazy. "No, we're not."

"I asked you in the hospital," Tony prompted her.

"No, you didn't," said Pepper firmly.

"I said I wanted it all with you, remember? Marriage, kids, the whole deal."

Pepper looked even more sceptical. "_That_ was a marriage proposal?"

"Yes," said Tony, looking as though he didn't understand what the problem was.

"Actually, boss," inserted Happy, "that was more of a marriage implication. You implied marriage, rather than proposing it."

"It's the same thing," said Tony, starting to sound a little annoyed.

"It's not," argued Bruce.

"It really isn't," agreed Darcy. "If I'd proposed half the things I'd implied I'd probably be in jail, dead or the wife of a Brunei sultan right now."

Bruce gave Darcy a side-eyed look. "I'm intrigued."

"You should be," said Darcy with a knowing smile.

Jane looked a little uncertain as she looked between Tony and Pepper. "So, you're not engaged then?"

"Yes."

"No."

Tony sent Pepper an exasperated look. "Yes, we are."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Not even you can be engaged by yourself, Tony. It takes two."

"Shut up, Captain Celery," Tony snapped. He looked back at Pepper, a pleading tone in his voice. "Sweetheart, I really did mean that as a marriage proposal."

Pepper gave him an indulgent look. "For a guy who once flew one hundred people out to a Tahitian island to celebrate National Cookie Day, that proposal seemed kind of underwhelming to me."

"And there were no cookies," grumbled Happy.

"There was alcohol," said Tony impatiently. "Everyone knows alcohol cancels out cookies."

"Just like everyone knows an implication is the same as a proposal?" shot back Happy.

Tony waved an impatient hand at him and turned back to Pepper. "Okay, we can agree to disagree on the proposal thing, but you had to know it was sincere, Pepper." A charming smile lit up his face. "So," said Tony huskily, "we're engaged?"

Pepper smiled and put her hand on his chest. "Oh, Tony," she kissed him, "no."

Tony looked like she'd just slapped him. "What, what do you mean no?"

"No, as in the opposite of yes."

"You-you're turning me down?" he asked in disbelief.

Darcy leaned over towards Steve. "This seems private, we should leave." She then promptly picked up the other half of his sandwich and started to eat it, continuing to look between Tony and Pepper with rapt intrigue.

Tony sent her an exasperated look. "You just said you should leave."

"I also said I should give up bacon waffles," she observed around a mouthful of sandwich. "That's not going to happen either."

Tony's attention was back on Pepper. "Why don't you want to marry me?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to marry you."

"You said no."

"I just think now is not a good time to make life-altering decisions," protested Pepper. "I think we should just leave things as they are until things calm down a bit."

Tony made a worried face. "It's me, Pepper, this is as calm as my life gets."

"I just don't want to rush into anything," she said stubbornly.

"It's been twelve years," exclaimed Tony. "How is that rushing? Look, I know we are meant to be together forever and my hunches are never wrong. Take the safety pod-"

"YES!" shouted Darcy, throwing her hands up in the air. "Pay up, bitches!"

"Wait," said Bruce, looking at his watch. "I have it at five days, seven hours."

"And I said five days, five hours," said Darcy. "The next person was Thor, he said six days."

Tony scowled. "What is going on?"

"We were all betting on when you'd start gloating over the hamster ball thing," said Steve. He made a disgruntled noise. "I had you at less than twenty-four hours. I can't believe you held out this long."

"I thought he had another day of guilt in him," said Happy in annoyance. "Damn."

Tony looked outraged. "Are you kidding me?" He looked at Pepper. "Can you believe this?"

"Not really," she said ruefully. "I only gave you two days."

His jaw dropped. "You were in on it too?"

"I knew I was going to put up with you gloating about the damn thing for the rest of our lives," she said flatly. "The least I could do was make a little money on it off the side."

Everyone was reaching into their pockets and pulling out money for Darcy, who was collecting it with great glee. "I knew you had it in you, Scarecrow."

"I'm so glad everyone is getting amusement out of my suffering," said Tony indignantly. He turned to Pepper, a hopeful look in his eye. "You know what would help take the edge off this betrayal?"

"I'm not marrying you, Tony," said Pepper calmly. Tony opened his mouth to protest but she was too quick for him. "Please don't make this a bigger deal than this is."

"You don't want to marry me," said Tony in horror. "How is that not a big deal?"

Pepper wasn't backing down. "I just meant I don't want to marry you right _now_."

"The implication being that you would want to marry me at another time?" said Tony quickly.

"Tony," said Pepper with a tone of warning in her voice, "don't turn this into one of your obsessions. Just let it be."

"I wouldn't do that," Tony protested.

"Mm," said Pepper, looking less than certain. She smiled at everyone. "I think I will go and lie down now, I'm feeling a bit tired."

Tony was immediately putting his hand to her back and guiding her towards the door. "Here, I'll help you."

The rest of them murmured their wishes for her to feel better soon as Pepper and Tony left.

Steve sat back in his seat. "So, does anyone believe that Tony isn't going to turn getting Pepper to agree to marry him into a complete obsession?"

"Nope."

"No way?"

"You can already smell the crazy on him."

The rest of the room offered up their general consensus of disbelief.

Steve sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

**oooOOOOooo**

Natasha stirred, fighting her way through the waves of confusion and sleep. She could hear his voice in her ear, anchoring her to the real world. Natasha focused all of her energy on the sound of Clint's voice talking to her. It was like a trail of breadcrumbs leading her home. She forced her eyes open, blinking blearily.

Clint's face was above hers. "Natasha?"

Natasha focused on his concerned face, taking in how tired he looked. "Clint," she rasped with dry lips.

His whole face lit up at hearing her say his name. "Finally decided to join the world of the waking, huh?" he teased her but his voice was shaky and Natasha thought she saw a gleam of tears in his eyes.

Everything had been a confusing mess of voices and faces as she'd move in and out of consciousness. Clint had been the one thing Natasha had clung to, her touchstone as she fought to regain control of her senses. "Clint," she whispered again, hardly able to believe she'd found her way back to him. It had seemed hopeless for so long, but now she was looking into those warm blue eyes of his again, Natasha knew she could never truly lose hope when it came to him. There were so many questions. "How-how long?" she rasped, hoping he'd understand the question.

"You had surgery six days ago," said Clint, filling in the gaps. "They got all the tumour and the doctors are really pleased with everything. You did it, Nat, you made it."

Natasha felt Clint take her hand in his and squeeze it tightly. She tried to squeeze it back but her strength was barely there.

"It's alright," Clint comforted her, "your left hand side is just a bit weak. It's nothing, we can fix that."

She blinked up at him. "We?"

Clint gave a wobbly smile. "Like I'm going to miss out on an opportunity to whip you into shape, Romanoff."

Natasha gave a little snort, appreciating his humour. Her face clouded over. "Ghost? Spiders?" It was exhausting getting the words out, but Natasha needed to know.

"Dead, all of them," said Clint confidently. "You took out Ghost, the rest of us took out the spiders. It's over, Nat, and we won."

"Others, safe?"

"Yes, completely."

"Hammer?"

"Dead, a couple of times over as it turns out."

Natasha closed her eyes, hugely relieved to hear that.

"I love you."

Her eyes flicked open at Clint's heartfelt words. Her stomach turned over nervously even as a flood of joy washed over her.

"I don't know if you wanted to hear that," said Clint hesitantly, "but I made myself a promise that I wasn't going to talk to you again and not tell you how I feel. I love you, Natasha, I always have, even when I was hating you for leaving me."

Natasha's heart swelled to hear that. Love had always been something she'd run from and had no use for in her life, but Clint saying those words to her felt like nothing she'd ever experienced before. She wanted to warn him, tell him that she was a mess and probably only going to end up hurting him again. "I'm trouble," Natasha managed to push out past shaking lips.

"I know," said Clint unevenly. "I think that is what I first fell in love with."

Natasha blinked back tears. "Crazy," she said hoarsely.

Clint cupped her face and stroked her face with his thumb. "I know but I lost any chance of ever being sane around you a long time ago, Romanoff." He picked up her hand and pressed the back of it to his lips. "I don't know what the future has in store for us, but I do know I want to go into that future with you by my side. I told you when all of this started, I want to be more than just partners with you and that hasn't changed." Clint gave her an uncertain look. "What happens next is up to you but whatever you say or do, it's not going to change how I feel about you." A lop-sided smile touched his lips. "You're stuck with my love, sorry about that."

Natasha was overcome with memories of Clint's lips against hers as they plummeted towards the ground. His body wrapped around hers, holding her tight as they both hurtled towards the earth and neither caring as they shared that kiss. He'd been right, she hadn't seen it coming, but then, she hadn't seen her feelings for Clint coming either. He was the one person in the world she'd let see the real person beneath the mask and he hadn't run. Instead Clint was right there, holding her hand and telling her he loved her. Natasha had a lot of things she wanted to say to Clint right then, but she couldn't quite manage it. She just wasn't strong enough physically to have that conversation but Natasha needed for Clint to know how she felt. "Kiss?"

Clint seemed cautious. "Is that a question or a request? Because yes, we kissed and it was amazing."

Natasha shook her head. "Kiss," she said weakly, the talking wearing her out.

Clint's face brightened as he realised it wasn't a question. He bent down, and pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Natasha returned it with all of the strength left in her body. Clint broke the kiss after a long moment, their lips still touching.

"Stay," Natasha managed to get out, lips brushing his as she spoke.

"Always," Clint promised her before claiming her lips in another kiss.

Natasha had kissed a lot of men and never known what it was to have one matter. This mattered and it both thrilled and frightened her but she wasn't the one to pull back first. She wanted this, she wanted Clint. Natasha had never been so sure of anything in her life.

**oooOOOOooo**

Fury stared out from the control deck of the heli-carrier, watching everyone working away at their consoles.

Coulson was by his side. "Sir, we have a situation developing in LA."

Fury didn't turn to look at the other man. "Aren't you still on sick leave, Agent Coulson?"

"Yes, sir."

"How's that working out for you?"

"I have no complaints, sir."

Fury gave the barest of smiles, appreciating Coulson's dedication. "What's your assessment of the LA situation, Agent?"

"I think this is a level one threat."

He nodded, accepting the assessment. "Time to call them in." The Avengers had proven what kind of team they could be and Fury had a secret sense of self-satisfaction that his hunches had paid off, not just for him, but for the entire world.

"Sir, yes, sir," said Coulson happily.

**oooOOOOooo**

"That's as fluffed as that pillow is going to get," noted Pepper tolerantly from behind him.

Tony straightened up from where he was trying to get the bed ready for her. "I just want you to be comfortable, Pep." He took her arm and helped lower her carefully onto the bed.

"Then stop hovering over me," she advised him.

"I can't help it. I need to know you're alright."

Pepper settled back against the pillows and smiled up at him. "I am alright, Tony. I'm here and I'm fine."

Tony knew she wasn't fine but didn't want to argue. Suddenly his Avengers' badge started to flash.

"Duty calls," Pepper noted, nodding at the badge.

Tony glanced down at the device and then back at Pepper. "I think I'll sit this one out. You need me more."

"I need you to go and be Iron Man and more importantly now, an Avenger," said Pepper firmly. She gave him a warm smile. "Go, Tony, they need you." She touched his hand. "And you need them."

Tony felt a wave of love for this woman who knew and understood him so well. "I'll always need you the most," he said huskily.

"And I'll always be here," she promised him. "Now go, do what you do and save lives."

"You know what would make me even better at that?" asked Tony. "Knowing I was coming home to someone who happened to be, I don't know, my fiancé?"

Pepper just smiled. "Don't start, Tony."

"I'm going to get you to marry me, you know that right?"

"I know," she said indulgently.

Tony bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "I'm going to be back soon."

"I know you will, you all will," said Pepper confidently.

With a last look at Pepper, Tony was running out the door. "Jarvis, my suit!"

"Already prepared, sir."

Within minutes Tony had made it to his lab, suited up and was on the roof, finding the rest of the Avengers, already waiting for him by the jet.

"Clint will be waiting for us on the hospital roof," Steve informed him.

Tony smiled, feeling the confidence of going into battle with people who truly had your back. "In that case," his visor slipped down into place, "time to get this party started. Avengers Assemble!"

They were all in the jet and being carried to their next fight, none of them questioning if this was where they were meant to be...

"Where there is unity there is always victory."

_Publilius Syrus_

**A/N****: And there you have it, guys. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out the Epilogue. :D **


	78. Epilogue

**A/N****: Okay, guys, the epilogue is up. :D **

**I always pictured this next scene at the end of this story, so I hope you enjoy it. **

**My trailer is still coming for this story as my montage maker actually has a life – I know, what's that all about, right? LOL I have a cunning plan that when it's done, I'm going to put up another chapter or two at the end of this fic to celebrate and for you all to have a chance to check it out. So, like I said in the last chapter, if you follow this fic or me, you'll know when the trailer is ready and when I'll do a little final update, some little one or two shot maybe. ;) **

**And one last round of thanks you to all my darling readers and keep an eye out for me, because I'll most likely be back... ;) **

**Epilogue**

Chase Cavenaugh swiped his room card through the electronic device on his pent house room. He sauntered in, still damp from his swim in the pool at the Taveuni Island Resort and Spa. It was the most luxurious hotel in Fiji, but then, Chase Cavenaugh liked to travel in style. It was a style he could afford thanks to some creative internet bank hacking and a little bit of pre-planning. Chase caught his reflection in the hall mirror and smoothed down his hair, smiling back at the confident looking man in the mirror. He glanced at his watch and noted he didn't have much time before his lunch date with Monique, the French bikini model he'd met at that bar earlier. It was amazing how attractive you could be to women with a little bit of confidence and not being shy about throwing some cash around. Chase continued on into the living room and came to an abrupt halt at seeing he was no longer alone.

Tony Stark was behind the bar, fixing himself a drink and looking coolly casual in sunglasses, t-shirt and jeans. "Oh, hey there, Chase," he called out jovially. "Can I make you a drink while I'm here? What's your poison?"

Chase's jaw dropped, his heart exploding into a panicked rhythm at seeing Tony in his room.

Tony looked to his right to address the other man in the room. "He's not answering me."

"I noticed."

Chase gave a violent start at seeing the large set man standing against the wall. The man was incongruous in his black suit and tie in such tropical surrounds but it somehow made him all the more menacing looking.

"Maybe you'd prefer me call you Jerry?" offered up Tony. "How does that sound, Chase?"

Jerry knew the gig was up and these guys were obviously here to kill him for his part in the Los Alamos fiasco. A surge of fear had him lunging for the top drawer of the credenza where he'd hidden a little insurance policy. Jerry pulled out a gun and pointed it back and forth between Tony and the other man. "Stay where you are," he exclaimed, voice cracking a little. "I'll shoot."

Tony stirred his drink, unconcerned. "The safety's on," he noted absently, glancing at Jerry and the gun.

Jerry looked down at the gun in his hand and panicked.

"It's the little button on the right," Tony offered up helpfully.

Sweat was getting into his eyes as he tried to look for the safety button. Jerry blinked rapidly, the salt stinging his eyes.

"It's your other left," joined in the large man in the corner.

Jerry felt like he was on the verge of a heart attack as he fumbled with the gun, shaking hands trying to turn off the safety. In the process, the bullet clip fell out the bottom of the gun and bounced to the ground at his feet. Jerry gave it a distressed look and then back at Tony, who was lounging against the bar, sipping on his drink.

"I've never handled a gun before," confessed Jerry unevenly.

Tony looked over the top of his sunglasses at him, still looking very relaxed. "I assumed," he said straight-faced.

Jerry felt like he was going to throw up. "Please don't kill me," he squeaked.

"Jerry, Jerry, do we look like the kind of people who'd kill folks?" tutted Tony.

Jerry sent a nervous look over at the imposing man in the corner. "He does," and then instantly regretted his honestly. Jerry sent the man a wide-eyed look. "Please don't kill me."

"Relax, kid," said the man gruffly, "if we wanted you dead, we'd have let you fire that gun."

Jerry was only slightly relieved to hear that. He'd had dealings with eccentric billionaires before and they never ended well. "Wh-what are you going to do to me?"

Tony took a sip of his drink and gave Jerry a thoughtful look. "You've been a bad boy, Jerry. What do you think we should do with you?"

"I never wanted to be involved with all of that stuff," said Jerry hastily. "Mr. Hammer made me. If I didn't do what he said, he would have killed me." He gave a little shudder. "Or she would have."

"You mean Ghost?" Tony quizzed him.

Jerry nodded, feeling anxious at just talking about the woman. "The news report said she's dead. Is that true?"

"Yes."

Jerry blew out a relieved breath. "Good." He pulled a face. "Sorry, I don't mean to be horrible but she was really, really scary."

"No one I know is crying over her loss," said Tony calmly.

Jerry was still uncertain what was happening here. "If you're not going to kill me, are you here to take me to jail?" He grimaced. "I don't want to go to jail. I know I'm going to hate it."

"I think that's the sentiment the penitentiary system is going for as a rule, Jerry," said Tony dryly. "They try not to make jail too much fun otherwise everyone will want to go there."

Jerry felt like crying. He'd been having so much fun as Chase Cavenaugh. It was like he'd finally been able to shake off Jerry Weems bad luck, but no, true to form, he was back up to his neck in trouble. He was never going to be a winner. "Okay," he sighed, "I'm ready." Jerry stuck his hands out in front of himself, wrists together, waiting for the handcuffs.

Tony looked vaguely amused. "Do I look like someone who carries handcuffs on me?"

"Anymore," inserted the other man.

"Anymore," conceded Tony. He winked at Jerry in a conspiratorial fashion. "Stable relationship going on six months now. We're getting married."

The large man sent Tony a sceptical look. "Has Pepper signed off on this?"

"It's inevitable."

"It's inevitable you're going to screw this up."

Tony flashed him an annoyed look and then was looking back at Jerry with a sweet smile fixed on his lips. "I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm guessing you know who I am."

Jerry wasn't sure what to make of this, so he just opted for politeness until he could work out what exactly was. "Y-yes, Mr. Stark."

"And this is Happy," continued on Tony blithely. He sent the man a pointed look. "The title is an ironic one."

Happy didn't miss a beat. "It wasn't before I started working for you," he said, straight-faced.

Tony pouted. "That was hurtful."

"Being bitten by a rabid squirrel looking for a watch that wasn't lost is hurtful," Happy shot back. "You're fine."

"Are you still not over that?" asked Tony in exasperation.

"Have you seen the size of a rabies needle? No, I'm not over it."

Tony waved a dismissive hand at him. "Ignore him." He put down his glass and walked up to Jerry. "I've been wanting to meet you for some time now, Jerry Weems."

"You-you have?" asked Jerry weakly.

"I've been studying your work and I have to say, it's impressive."

Jerry blinked. "Thank you, sir."

"Enough with the sir business," said Tony offhandedly. "Tony is fine."

Jerry didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing.

Tony continued on calmly. "Of course, that brilliance was used to threaten the life of the Avengers, millions of Americans and most importantly, the woman I love."

Fresh sweat broke out on Jerry's forehead. "You're going to kill me," he concluded despondently. All he could do was hope it'd be quick.

"If things had gone differently, then maybe that would be true," said Tony, his face suddenly very serious. "But I know you tried to shut down Ghost at Los Alamos."

Jerry rubbed his arm and looked away. "She got the jump on me. I thought there was no way Ghost could know about my fail safe but-"

"She did," finished Tony. "I know, the woman was a diabolical genius."

Jerry gave a little frown. "There was a guy, an agent, I think his name was Catson or Coleman, something like that." He took a deep breath. "The guy saved my life. Is he okay? Did he make it?"

"That's the first smart question you've asked today," Tony informed him. "Yes, Agent Coulson is going to be fine. He told us you carried him to safety."

"I didn't want anyone to die," said Jerry unhappily. "I would have helped Doctor Maniatis if I could have but he just turned up on my doorstep already in a block of ice. I tried to warn him that working for Hammer would end badly, but he wouldn't listen." He shook his head. "I've made such a mess of things. I deserve to be in prison."

"Yes, you do, Jerry," agreed Tony without hesitation. "The thing I keep asking myself though, is whether you paying out your debt to society would be better served stamping out number plates or working for me?"

Jerry's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

Tony was watching him steadily. "You're a very gifted man, Jerry. Your talents shouldn't go to waste. They've been used for evil up till now, perhaps it's time to redress the balance, hmm?"

"Are you-are you offering me a job?" asked Jerry uncertainly.

"I'm offering you a chance to make reparations for the damage you caused in a meaningful way," countered Tony. "You'd be working closely with me, so I can keep an eye on you."

Jerry could hardly believe what he was hearing. A chance to work with the great Tony Stark, it was unbelievable. "I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," said Tony casually. "You don't have a choice. It's either me or jail."

"You," said Jerry quickly, "of course you, sir… ah, Mr. Stark."

"Tony."

"Um, Tony."

"But just so we get this straight, you have a lot to prove to me, Jerry," said Tony sternly. "You were responsible, however unwillingly, in hurting a lot of people I care about. If you don't show me that you're one of the good guys now-"

"Oh, I will, I will, I am a good guy, truly," interrupted Jerry excitedly. "You're not going to regret this, sir… ahh, Tony."

Tony pulled out a computer tablet from his pocket and quickly pulled up some schematics on the glass screen. "What do you make of this?"

Jerry scanned the plans on the screen in front of him, instantly impressed by the revolutionary design elements he could see just from the rough plans. "Wow," he said in awe, "this is amazing, but I could see a few things that could make it better."

Tony arched an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

Jerry blanched, used to Hammer's reactions when anyone disagreed with him in anyway. "I'm sorry, don't kill me."

Tony looked over at Happy. "Why don't you give me that kind of deference?"

"Because I've pulled your naked, drunk ass out of one too many amusement parks. The mystery between us is gone."

"Well, I've pulled your naked, drugged ass out of a tattooist," threw back Tony.

"Not in time," said Happy darkly.

Jerry bit his bottom lip. "You-you're not going to have to see me naked too, are you?" Oh no, this could be a new kind of nightmare.

Tony's lips quirked. "Not this early in the relationship, Jerry. You can relax." He nodded at the screen. "Tell me what you would do to improve this design?"

Jerry looked back at the schematics, mind already racing. "It doesn't look like it has an anti-gravity capacity. That could be useful and would only take a few adjustments that wouldn't affect the overall weight of the unit." Jerry looked up at Tony. "What do you call this thing anyway? Some kind of safety pod?" He wasn't sure why, but the other man's face lit up at that.

Tony put his arm around him and patted his shoulder. "Jerry, I feel like this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship."

Jerry let himself relax for a moment, sensing that everything was going to be alright. "Do I get a cool nickname?" asked Jerry, beginning to get excited about the idea. He was going to be working with Tony Stark and by extension, Iron Man and the Avengers. That was all kinds of awesome.

"You mean like 'Guy Who Nearly Killed Millions of People and Isn't in Jail'?" offered up Tony calmly.

Jerry blinked, brought back to earth. "I guess Jerry is fine."

**oooOOOOooo**

Tony settled into his custom-made leather seat in his private jet and pressed speed dial on the plane phone. It was answered after three rings.

"Hello?"

Tony couldn't help but smile. "Hello, my reason for living."

Tony could hear the smile in Pepper's voice. "You sound pleased with yourself, I'm taking it that everything went to plan?"

"When don't my plans work out perfectly?" asked Tony confidently.

"You can't really want me to answer that," she teased him.

Tony chuckled. "You're right, I don't." He glanced over his shoulder to where Jerry was sitting in front of the widescreen TV with his earphones on, watching an in flight movie with a big bowl of popcorn. "The package is secure and currently enjoying the talents of Jim Carey."

"What's he like?"

"Tall, enormous teeth and not as funny as everyone thinks."

"I meant Jerry," said Pepper in amusement.

"Oh, right." Tony perused the oblivious Jerry as he shovelled popcorn into his mouth. "I think it's going to work out great. I've got a good feeling about the guy. I've been looking for a protégée."

"You're making Jerry your protégée?" asked Pepper in surprise.

Tony shrugged, even though she couldn't see it. "Protégée, guy I can use to test some of the prototypes I've got planned, I haven't decided yet."

"Happy will be glad of the rest from being your lab rat," Pepper noted.

"Happy complains too much when the least little thing happens. He still goes on about his eyebrows."

"He did have to draw them on for nearly a month," Pepper pointed out.

"Greta Garbo made her fortune out of that look."

"Happy's not really the Greta Garbo type."

"Agreed, he doesn't have the legs for it." Tony looked out the window as the white, fluffy clouds drifted past; belying the speed they were actually travelling at. "How are you feeling?"

"Like you've already asked me that question ten times today already," said Pepper patiently.

"I haven't been there to keep an eye on you today," Tony protested. "I need to know you're not overdoing it."

"I'm guessing your spies are keeping you in the loop," said Pepper indulgently.

Tony affected his most innocent tone. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the fact that I've had Bruce, Thor, Steve, Jane and Phil periodically turn up at my door throughout today, checking up on me."

"I had nothing to do with that," he protested.

"Tony."

"Alright, fine, I worry, so sue me."

"You're going to have to stop being so over-protective."

"Yeah, that's probably not going to happen."

"Lewis, John and Brody are taking great care of me. I don't need the Avengers as well. It's a little bit of overkill, don't you think?"

Tony thought about those moments when he'd discovered Pepper had still been in the Tower with Hammer, the memory still making him break out in a cold sweat. "I'm not seeing it."

"We'll talk about it when you get home."

Tony knew he wasn't going to budge on this subject, but let the matter go for now. "Sounds good. I thought I'd take you out to dinner tonight, to make up for not being there when you woke up this morning."

There was a momentary pause on the end of phone. "Um, I don't know, Tony."

He sat up straighter in his chair, immediately concerned. "Aren't you feeling well? You said you were feeling alright? Hang up and I'll call a doctor." Tony's voice was getting louder as he kept going, feeling the anxiety well up inside of him.

"Remember the overkill conversation we had about ten seconds ago?" Pepper asked wryly. "Well, it still applies. I'm fine, please stop panicking over every little thing."

Tony was only slightly mollified. "If you're alright, why don't you want to have dinner with me?"

"Because, I'm worried you're going to use it as an excuse to ask me to marry you again, even though I've asked you to let it go for the time being."

"How could you think such a thing?" asked Tony, feigning wounded feelings.

"Because, you've proposed to me eight times already since I asked you to drop it two days ago," pointed out Pepper calmly.

"I was just kidding," said Tony blithely.

"So, if I'd accepted, it wouldn't have counted?"

Tony's eyes went wide. "You're accepting one of the proposals? Which one? No, don't tell me, it doesn't matter. We're getting married!" A huge grin was practically taking over his face.

"No," said Pepper in exasperation, "I'm not accepting any of the proposals, Tony, just trying to pre-empt some kind of showy, over the top proposal in a public place."

"It's like you don't know me at all," said Tony, feigning wounded feelings. "Would I really be that crass and obvious?"

"I suppose not," relented Pepper. "I love you, Tony, but I just need some time to let all of this sink in. Please tell me you understand."

Tony pulled a face as he looked out the window. "I understand," he said begrudgingly. "But you know I'm not going to give up."

"I know," said Pepper indulgently. "Have a good flight and I'll see you when you get home."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

Tony hung out and pursed his lips. "Happy!" he called out.

Happy appeared in the doorway. "Boss?"

"Cancel the fireworks."

Happy shook his head at him. "Told you."

"Shut up," grumbled Tony.

"Pepper isn't about big and flashy, she's about classy and understated."

"I can do understated," argued Tony.

"Why don't you look the word up, find out what it means and then decide if you can do it," suggested Happy dryly.

"I don't understand what the big deal is," said Tony in frustration. He swept a hand down his body. "Who wouldn't want to lock down this?"

Happy grimaced. "Too many comebacks; can't pick just one," he wheezed, looking to be in pain. "Attempting to organise them in alphabetical order-"

"You're fired," said Tony flatly.

Happy took the seat across from him and shook his head at him. "Boss, you've got to stop pushing Pepper."

"Being pushy is the only move I have," said Tony, running his hand through his hair. "And it got me this far with her."

"Ever considered the idea that you've gotten this far with Pepper despite you being pushy?"

Tony pulled a face. "Not until just now."

"Pepper loves you, you love Pepper, you two are together and happy," he reasoned. "Give the lady a moment to take in the colossal changes in her life, recover from this latest trauma and then see where you are."

"You mean, be patient?"

"Want to google the word?"

"I know what patience is," grumbled Tony, "in theory."

"Think of it as character-building," suggested Happy.

"I feel like I've got enough character." Tony knew Happy was right, but he didn't feel like giving up just yet.

"I was thinking along the line of good character traits, not annoying ones."

"Have I fired you today?"

"About two minutes ago."

"Damn."

"I know, I'm bummed too." Happy looked over at Jerry. "You sure this guy is a good idea?"

"Jerry's a genius, I'm not going to let that go to waste," said Tony simply. "He just needs someone to keep him on the straight and narrow."

Happy just stared at him. "I'm pausing so we can both appreciate the irony of that last statement."

Tony shook his head. "I know, I know," he sighed. "Here I am mentoring a kid, wanting to get married, not terrified by having a baby." Tony scratched as his beard. "No, that's not true, I'm still terrified of having a baby, but it's a good kind of terror."

"You're growing up," said Happy approvingly.

"I put it off for as long as I could," said Tony philosophically, "but I guess it had to happen sometime."

Happy smiled. "I'm proud of you, boss."

"Proud enough to put in a good word to Pepper for me?"

"Way to work that patience angle, boss," said Happy mockingly.

Tony was unapologetic. "I am what I am."

"I'm getting the chef to make some lunch, want anything?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I'm good, thanks." He watched Happy leave and settled back into his seat, resuming his watch out the window. Tony thought about all the things waiting for him back in New York and couldn't help but smile.

Maybe this growing up lark wasn't going to be as awful as he'd always feared...


End file.
